


Dreamland Symphony

by Hope_Tree_Celeste



Series: Kirby AU Stories [1]
Category: Kirby (Video Games)
Genre: Blade is a girl, Coping with Decisions, Coping with Grief, Drama, Experimenting with Different Character-Building Ideas, F/M, Galacta is a girl, Gijinka/Human Characters, High School AU, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mentions of Suicide, Other, Passion project, References to Canon, Romance, Updates on FRIDAYS now, almost everyone is gay, band kids
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-20
Updated: 2020-12-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:35:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 25,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26016619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hope_Tree_Celeste/pseuds/Hope_Tree_Celeste
Summary: Taranza is tasked with getting a band together to play at Popstar High's first concert of the school year. His friends should be able to help him... right?
Relationships: Dark Meta Knight/Galacta Knight, Implied Blade/Susie, Magolor/Taranza (Kirby), Meta Knight/Taranza
Series: Kirby AU Stories [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1888321
Comments: 3
Kudos: 36





	1. The Start of Something New

**Author's Note:**

> This has been a passion project of mine for months and I'm finally ready to start posting it! This story will be updated once a week on Fridays. I hope you all enjoy this roller coaster of a story! :)
> 
> (I changed the weekly update to Fridays since it's easier to manage during school weeks)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The ride begins! The slow creep up the rails before the drop...

After the first day of junior year, everyone in Class 8-6 had grouped themselves with their friends. Meta Knight, Sword, and Blade; Kirby, Bandana Dee, and King Dedede; Magolor, Susie, and Taranza; and the final group: Marx, Daroach, Dark Meta Knight, and Galacta Knight. There were a few people who were in multiple groups, but they usually stick to one group at a time. 

Sighing, Taranza poked at his lunch as Marx and Dark were arguing over something regarding their DnD group. Magolor looked at him with a quirked brow. 

“Ranza? What’s up?” he asked.

Taranza looked at his boyfriend and sighed. “You know how Ms. Adeline mentioned me joining the school band last year? Well, I joined. And the _first thing_ Ms. Adeline tells me to do is conduct a new band to play our first concert of the year, which is three months from now. Along with that, our classes are super difficult this year and I have tutoring scheduled with Professor Escargoon every other afternoon. It’s just a lot of pressure.”

Susie, hearing her friend’s frustration, joined into the conversation. “You need some help, Taranza?”

He thought for a moment. _Maybe I could ask my friends to help!_ Then the image of Dedede losing his temper while Marx and Dark fight, with Magolor trying to “control” the situation came to mind. _That may not be a good idea._ Another scenario played through his head, where everyone in his class was seated properly, each one playing their parts beautifully. _It may be worth the risk, though._

When he stopped his thought process, Taranza saw a hand waving in front of his face. “Ranza, babe, are you there?”

Blinking, he responded, “Yes. Sorry, I just got lost in thought. What were you saying?”

“Susie was just suggesting that we get the class together to help you with your problem.”

_She read my mind!_ “That sounds good, but how would we do that? I mean, everyone has their own schedule and I don’t want to impose on them just so I can do something for band class.”

Susie laughed for a moment. “It’ll be fine. I have everyone’s schedules mapped out on a document. I can set up a few rehearsals that go along with the class’s shared free time. How does that sound?” 

Magolor shivered beside him. “I don’t want to know how you got that information, Susie. That’s… kinda creepy, if I can be honest here.” She only laughed in response, covering her mouth to muffle it.

All of a sudden, Marx jumps onto the table, pointing a plastic fork at Dark. Everyone in the lunchroom turned to look at him, though nobody moved to stop him; at this point, the teachers knew that Marx couldn’t be subdued, no matter what you tried.

“Pathetic fool! You dare to insult the very way of life I live for?” His voice echoed through the room.

Dark stayed seated, looking down at the table. “Sit down. You’re causing a scene.”

Marx scoffed, holding his arms out. “Who cares if I make a scene? Everyone’s used to it at this point. But I can’t let you get away with what you said!”

“All I said was that your campaign idea was trash because having your character turn into a world-ending demon is dumb. There’s nothing in our campaign that would warrant that drastic change.”

Taranza finally snapped out of his thoughts to see Marx jumping off the table and approaching Dark. The flexing of his fingers was enough for Taranza to step in. He shoved his chair back and rose to his feet, jumping between them just as Marx reached for Dark. The trickster grabbed for Dark but, once he realized who he was holding, let go and stepped back. Dark simply turned his head away.

“Ran-ran? What are you doing?”

“I don’t like seeing my friends fight. It was bad enough in middle school and freshman year, but bringing that childishness into our junior year is unnecessary.” His words must have had some effect because Marx sat back down next to Susie, his eyes downcast as he pouted. The lunchroom, once everyone figured out that the commotion was over, went back to their original conversations and activities.

Taranza turned around to tell Dark something, but the brooding teen was already gone, along with Galacta. When he moved to go back to his seat, his foot stepped on something slippery, sending him to the floor. Magolor reached out to him, missing only by an inch. As Taranza’s body hit the floor, he heard someone calling his name while another voice laughed loudly. Then all went dark.

~~

Kirby smacked Dedede in the shoulder. “Ow! What was that for, Kirby?”

“You threw your banana peel on the ground and made Taranza fall!”

Dedede only huffed, looking away. “It’s what he gets for making me Sectonia’s henchman back in eighth grade.” Another hit came to his shoulder, only this time it was a punch. “Come on, man! Stop hitting me!”

Kirby quirked his brow. “That wasn’t me, Dedede.” He looked behind Dedede and saw Magolor was there, face shadowed over by his hood.

“Don’t mention that name ever again, or else.” His voice was low as he spoke. It sent a chill down their spines. Lololo and Lalala, the nurse’s assistants, came to carry Taranza to the nurse’s office. Magolor stormed off, following the twins. Susie and Marx went after him, concerned looks on their faces.

~~

From across the lunchroom, Meta watched the spectacle unfold. Taranza had jumped between Marx and Dark’s argument to keep them from fighting, but clumsily slipped on a banana peel. _I can’t deny that he’s brave to do such a thing, especially knowing how fired up Marx can get._ But one sight confused him: Magolor. He looked ready to kill, just because Dedede was being his usual self.

“Hey, Blade. You think Taranza’s gonna be alright?”

“I don’t know, Sword. That was a pretty bad fall.” She looked from her brother to Meta. “What do you think, Meta?” He was watching Lololo and Lalala carry the boy away with a dazed expression. “Meta? Are you feeling alright?”

Blinking quickly, he turned to Blade and nodded. “I believe Taranza will be fine.”

Noticing how out of it Meta was, Blade asked, “Are you sure you’re okay? You’ve been spacing out recently.”

“Of course. I simply get lost in thought. What gave you the impression I was ill?” He raised an eyebrow at her in curiosity.

Sword pressed his hand to his forehead. “Come on, man. You may not notice it, or want to tell us, but we can tell _something’s_ going on with you. Just answer me this: is it a girl? A guy? Or something personal?”

He thought for a moment, looking back at the exit Taranza was taken through. “It is nothing to worry about, I assure you. Just something I’ve had on my mind for a while.”

When Sword prepared to question his friend again, Blade tapped him on the shoulder. The look she gave him told him that it wasn’t worth pursuing anymore. Sensing the conversation had dropped, Meta rose from his seat. He left, saying he had to meet with their history teacher Professor Nightmare before class started after lunch. The twins watched him go, trying to figure out what was on their friend’s mind.

~~

Slowly opening his eyes, Taranza sat up, seeing a lot of white around him. _Am I… dead? Wait..._ Blinking his eyes, he saw that there were cabinets and a desk in the room. Sitting by the door was Magolor, Marx, and Susie.

“M… Magolor?” he whispered.

Magolor jumped, moving to the side of the infirmary bed Taranza was laying on. “Ranza! You’re awake!” Susie came up beside him, along with a downcast Marx behind her.

Sitting up completely, he placed a hand on his left cheek, wincing in pain when he tried to sit up. “Ow… what happened?”

Before Magolor could give his long-winded rant (Susie could tell he was about to rant when he took in a deep breath), Susie said, “You jumped between Marx and Dark’s argument, then slipped on a banana peel that Dedede threw on the ground.”

Silence filled the room. Nurse Grill and her assistant Gooey walked in, a smile rising to their faces when they saw that Taranza was awake. 

“How are you feeling?” Grill asked.

He nodded. “Though my backside and knee are in a bit of pain, I am fine.”

“That’s good.” She turned to Gooey. “Gooey, could you get a patch for me please?” The boy nodded, dashing to the medicine cabinet. He grabbed the patch and handed it to Grill. She lightly pressed it to Taranza’s knee and taped it down. “There you go! You should be good to get back to class. Or, if you still need to rest, you can stay in here for the rest of the day. However…” She looked at Susie, Magolor, and Marx. “You guys need to get back to class. It’s better if you make it for your last period rather than miss two classes in one day.”

Reluctantly, the trio nodded, walking out of the nurse’s office. Grill turned back to Taranza. He had a sheet of paper in his lap and a pen in his hand, writing something out. Once he was done, he handed it to Gooey.

“Gooey, can you bring this to Class 8-6? They’re with Mr. Haltmann right now. Have him read this out to them please.” The boy nodded, giving Taranza a salute before rushing out the door.

Shaking her head, Grill smiled. “What are you planning?”

“I’m getting a band put together so I don’t get in trouble with Ms. Adeline.”

A hearty laugh filled the room. “My, you are quite creative, Taranza. Just make sure you can handle everyone. I can’t keep covering your scrapes with patches and salve every time you try to save the day,” Grill said, donning a serious face.

Taranza nodded. _They’re my friends; the people I’ve known since I transferred to Popstar Junior High back in seventh grade. I can handle them._

_I can do this!_


	2. Cacophony of Misunderstandings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The band project has begun and they can all start playing Kirby music! ...oh, who am I kidding? It NEVER goes that smoothly.

_I can’t do this. I can’t do this. Oh, why did I think this was a good idea?_

Before him was a mess; everyone was unfocused, only caring about what they were currently doing instead of why they had been gathered after school.

Magolor, seeing how anxious Taranza was, walked up to him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Come on, Ranza. You can do this. If you want, I can quiet them down,” he offered.

Taranza shook his head. “No, that’s alright, Magolor. Thank you, though.” Taking a deep breath, he stood behind the podium. His heart raced as he placed two of his floating hands on his chest. 

He inhaled and… “Everyone, settle down!” The chaos became a freeze-frame in seconds. Each person froze, looking up at Taranza with curiosity. Moving his other hands down, Taranza spoke again. “Please take a seat so I can explain why you’re here.” They did as they were told, shocked by his taking control of the situation.

“Now… The reason why I had you guys come here is because of Ms. Adeline.” The tension in the room increased tenfold when the Talent Arts teacher’s name was mentioned. “More specifically, she has chosen me to pull a band together and conduct it at our first concert in three months time.”

Dedede was the first to speak up. “And _what_ does that have to do with us?” A few people stared at him like he was crazy. “I mean, this is your problem, isn’t it? Just take a few random kids from the freshman classes; I’m sure they would be ecstatic to help.”

Before Magolor could retort, Taranza held out one of his hands, silencing his boyfriend. “I understand what you’re saying. And... you’re right, Dedede.” His nerves started to surface again, making his body tremble. “But I just thought that, well, if we did this as a class-”

“So _that’s_ what you wanted.”

Looking around, Taranza saw that Daroach was standing, backpack over his right shoulder. “What I… wanted?”

“You wanted us to work together to keep you out of trouble. Well, I hate to rain on your parade, but it won’t work.”

Taranza’s eyes widened. “That’s not what I-”

But he didn’t have the chance to continue as Daroach opened the door to the bandroom. “Handle your own problems, Taranza.” He walked out, followed by Dedede. Everyone watched them leave then risked a glance at Taranza. He lowered his head, all six hands clenched into fists. Then they relaxed, hanging limply by his sides.

“He’s right… I’m so sorry, everyone. If you feel the same as Daroach, you can leave. I won’t force you to stay.”

Two people stood: Dark and Sword. Dark was out the door in seconds. Galacta moved to follow after him, but stopped herself reluctantly.

When Sword moved to leave, Blade grabbed his wrist. “And where do you think you’re going?” she asked.

“To the gym. The guys on the football team are having a pre-game rally and practice to make sure we wipe the floor with our opponents this weekend.”

“Like hell you are.” She rose from her seat, staring him dead in the eyes. “You would just leave Taranza like that? Remember the last time _you_ got in trouble with Ms. Adeline?” Sword visibly tensed at that. “Do you want our friend to have to do the same things you did?”

Sword was silent, weighing his options. With a sigh, he sat back down. “I’ll stay. _Nobody_ deserves to deal with Ms. Adeline’s wrath. Not even Marx.”

“Hey!”

Taranza, who had been on the brink of a breakdown, looked up with watery eyes. “Thank you, Sword. And thank you to everyone who stayed to do this. I truly appreciate it!” He smiled. “Now, let’s start with choosing your instruments. It will likely take up the rest of our time here, but I can give you some easy sheet music to help you practice during your free time. Again, thank you guys so much!”

Meta sent a quick look to Blade; _Thank you_ , it said. She flashed him a smile before sitting back down.

~~

After their first rehearsal, Bandana Dee and Kirby sought out their childhood friend. He was out on the field, doing his workout routine. When he spotted them, he let go of the iron bar, flexing his fingers.

“Heya Kirby, Dee! What’s goin’ on?”

They glanced at each other before looking back at Dedede. “We need you to play in the band with us,” Kirby stated bluntly.

The smile on his face fell, replaced by a slight frown. “No can do, buddies. Not when I still have beef with him for the Sectonia incident.” Bandana Dee clenched his fists, gritting his teeth to keep from shouting. “That guy doesn’t know how badly his stunt affected me. I mean, he made me into a manservant for that woman because I mentioned that she was pretty. I wanted to go out with her, not act like her attachment accessory!”

“Stop complaining!” The outburst surprised both Kirby and Dedede. Bandana Dee was normally the quiet, stoic one; him shouting was about as rare as a blue moon. “He was new, and didn’t know what he was doing! Taranza spent the entirety of eighth and ninth grade trying to make it up to you, but you only brushed him off and kept blaming him for what happened!”

Something clicked in Dedede’s mind, and a bead of sweat dripped down his face. “Wait. If what you’re sayin’ is true, then...”

He nodded. “Yes, Dedede. Taranza took over most of your classroom tasks, gave you things we told him you would like, and he even talked you up to a few girls to help you get a date. Yet you brushed it off as your so-called ‘intimidating presence’ and ‘natural charms’. So you have no reason to hold that over his head anymore.” Taking a deep breath, then another, Bandana Dee relaxed his fists. “I have a baseball game tonight, so I need to get home. Bye guys.” Waving back at them, he walked to the parking lot where his father, Waddle Doo, was waiting for him.

Dedede turned to look at Kirby. “Was all that true, Kirby?”

His friend nodded. “Yes. Everything Bandana Dee said was true. I would personally go apologize to Taranza if I were you, but I won’t force you to do that. Please just consider helping us out.” With that, he also left, leaving Dedede to think everything over.

The next day, Dedede approached Taranza.

“Hey, man.” The young conductor looked up, surprised to see Dedede actually _talking_ to him.

“Good morning, Dedede. What do you need?”

“Look, I, uh, wanted to apologize. Thing is, I never knew that all of those ‘good things’ that happened to me back in eighth and ninth grade were because of you. I also kinda treated you unfairly back then, so I guess what I’m trying to say is… thanks, man. I’ll help you with the band thing to make it up to ya.”

Taranza’s eyes shone as a grin spread across his face. “Bygones shall be bygones, my friend. I appreciate your help!” Then he turned back to his book, jotting notes onto the paper next to him.

Letting out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding, Dedede went to sit in his seat. Beside him, Kirby gave a thumbs-up. Bandana Dee was in the seat behind Kirby, and he also gave him a thumbs-up.


	3. It's Missing a Little Something...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taranza works to get everyone started on their parts, though he notices that their band isn't quite complete. It's almost as if...

It’s been a month since Class 8-6 started practicing for the upcoming concert, and Taranza couldn’t be happier. Each of his classmates had their own instrument and were playing rather well. Meta on piano; Galacta as their vocals; Sword on trombone; Blade playing violin; Magolor with the french horn; Marx on trumpet; Dedede playing the tuba; Kirby and Bandana Dee as percussion; Susie was playing clarinet.

_We’re missing a saxophone and a flute, but everything else is in order. Now to schedule help sessions for those who need it._ He was going over his internal checklist while moving to his next class, Ms. Fumu’s Study Hall. With the free hour and a half, he could come up with more dynamics to give the song some real character. As he was walking to his class, Taranza heard the faint sound of a saxophone being played. Shaking his head, he soldiered on, making note of what needed improvements or could be altered in their piece.

~~

Daroach was sitting outside of the school, instrument case at his side. Making sure nobody was around, he opened the case, revealing a saxophone. Slipping a reed into the mouthpiece, he began to play a tune.

Unbeknownst to him, someone was listening. Something crunched against the gravel on the ground, alerting Daroach. “Who’s there? Show yourselves.”

Out walked Kirby, a sheepish smile on his face. “Guess I’ve been caught.” Sighing in aggravation, Daroach packed up his saxophone, clicking the clasps loudly. “That was a really good song, Daroach.”

“Get to the point, Kirby. What do you want?” He had his backpack over one shoulder, his instrument case held in both hands.

“Well, I came to ask why you won’t help Taranza.”

Another sigh escaped him. “I don’t have to explain myself to you.”

Daroach began to walk away. “Wait!” Kirby called out to him. He stopped, but didn’t turn around. “I have a proposition for you.” His mind did a spit-take. _I have to come up with something, or else he won’t help us._

“Proposition?” He turned to face the boy. “I’m listening.”

_Nice! Now, what would Daroach want…_ Kirby stayed silent for a moment, hands rubbing together behind his back. His eyes widened. _I’ve got it! This will be getting two birds with one stone!_

“Remember when Dedede always jumped in and ruined your dates back in freshman year?” Daroach grimaced, remembering vividly how the self-proclaimed “King of Popstar High” would find a way to mess up any date he went on. “If you come play in Taranza’s band, then I’ll help you get your revenge.”

He chuckled. “What revenge? There isn’t a single girl who would go out with that muscle-brained idiot.” Kirby was the one to laugh this time. 

“Not so anymore. Since eighth grade, girls have been talking about how cool and hot he is. From what he told me a few days ago, he has a date later tonight with a college sophomore named Titania.”

Daroach’s wide-eyed expression was priceless. _That dunce is actually getting girls?_ “Alright. I’ll be there next rehearsal. But tonight, we have some planning to do.”

Kirby nodded, holding out his hand. “It’s a deal, then.” As Daroach went to shake his hand, Kirby pulled back. “Just… one rule. I don’t want it to be anything too drastic.”

“Of course. He never truly _hurt_ me.” Daroach shook Kirby’s hand and waved him off, rushing to his next class when the bell rang.

_Hopefully this goes well. That girl isn’t the one for him, I know it. Ribbon, her younger sister, told me everything about her, and her history with guys. This is for the best, my friend._ The bell rang again, the last one before he was late. “Shoot! Gotta get to Ms. Fumu’s Study Hall!” He left quickly, running like a madman.

~~

At the end of the day, Kirby sat on the stairway in front of the school. Someone sat next to him, heaving a heavy sigh.

“What’s wrong, Taranza?”

“Oh, nothing. You guys are doing well, but the piece isn’t complete without more woodwinds playing. All we have is the clarinet part from Susie, which is good, but a flute or saxophone part would make the song sound _so much better."_

Kirby beamed, rising to his feet with a jump. “Oh, that’s right! I’ve got some good news. Daroach agreed to play with us!”

Taranza’s eyes widened. “Really? What can he play?”

“Luck favors you, because he plays the saxophone really well.”

A big smile spread over the young conductor’s face. “Really?” He enveloped Kirby in his arms, moving his four other hands out of the way. “Thank you so much, Kirby! You’re the best!” Letting go of the boy, he pulled out his phone to message Magolor and Susie in their group chat.

Kirby, feeling accomplished, gathered his things and left. A shout of “Thank you, Kirby!” sounded behind him, making the boy smile. His phone buzzed. Pulling it out, it was a message from Dedede, asking to meet at Kirby’s house before his date with Titania. Before he responded to his buddy, he made a message line with Daroach to talk about the plan.

  
To keep it short, they “sabotaged” the date by having a pie be thrown at his face. Titania was a cackling mess, saying how dumb he looked. It hurt Dedede, so he left her there to clean himself up. Kirby, despite how mean the action was, was glad it went that way. _This was for Dedede’s sake. If he had gone out with her, she would have been worse than Sectonia, I know it._


	4. The Dark Knight Rises... To The Stage!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that Daroach is on board, it's time to fill in that last spot: the FLUTE.

Another week of almost flawless rehearsals went by for Taranza and his make-shift band. Daroach’s addition was making the song feel like a real orchestral piece. Even so, the thought that it was missing something was eating at Taranza from the inside.

“Ranza? You’re spacing out again.”

Blinking, Taranza shook his head, sipping his boba tea. Magolor, Susie, and Taranza had decided to meet up over the weekend to plan the next move for their band. What other songs can we play? Would this one be too difficult? Too easy?

“Our band is still missing a key part.” His friends looked at him curiously.

“What do you mean?” Susie was typing something into her computer, staring at the screen with intense focus.

The young conductor sighed, resting his chin on one of his unattached hands as he stared out the window. “It’s just, we have all of the instrument parts we need but one: the flute. A flute usually plays most of the woodwind melodies in a music score, and without it, a song just feels… hollow.”

Magolor raised an eyebrow. “Hmm, I never thought of that. Then again, I don’t know as much about music and orchestration as you do, babe.” He rubbed his chin in thought. “But now that you mention it, a flute might help bring the lighter parts up to the surface, you know?”

Susie, finally done with her task, closed her laptop and chugged the rest of her tea. “I know just the person.” The couple looked at her with curiosity. Silence filled the space between them, until Magolor gasped, trying to hold back a laugh.

“You’re kidding.”

“Not at all. He’s the perfect person to play the flute.”

A snort escaped from behind his hands. “Oh Nova…”

Taranza looked over at his boyfriend, confused. “Who are you talking about?” That broke Magolor; he laughed loudly, startling a few of the other people in the tea shop. Taranza gently shushed him, rubbing one of his hands across Magolor’s back to help him calm down.

“I was referring to Dark.” Now confused, Taranza looked at Susie. “He’s the last person in our class that isn’t playing an instrument. And just imagine it: the dark, brooding guy playing a delicate flute. Girls and guys alike would go crazy over it.”

“But wouldn’t Galacta get jealous? They are dating, after all…”

The memory of Galacta’s last jealousy-filled rampage surfaced in their minds, making a chill go down their spines. “Well, it’s their funeral, not ours. But that’s beside the point.”

Magolor, finally over his laughing fit, sat up, trying to catch his breath. “Sorry about that. The image of Dark playing a flute just set me off.”

“But Susie does have a point. If we could get Dark to play the flute, then we’ll be set to move to other songs and make this a true concert!” Taranza did a double fistpump with two of his hovering hands. Magolor gave him a thumbs-up.

“Sounds good, babe.” He stood, picking up his drink. “I gotta go. Marx is expecting me to DM tonight, so I have to make up the next part of the story. Message me if you need anything.” Planting a quick kiss to Taranza’s cheek, he walked out of the tea shop.

Taranza placed a hand on the cheek Magolor kissed. Susie shook her head, grinning. “You two, I swear.” He gave her a half-hearted glare, still holding his cheek. The two stayed for a little while longer before parting ways. Before he left, Taranza shot a text to Meta, telling him what needed to happen.

_~The Next Day~_

Everything was going fine. Galacta was beside him, holding his hand; Marx was bouncing around like a child with a sugar rush; Meta was waiting by the gym door, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. _Wait what?_

Looking twice, he saw that Meta was indeed leaning against the wall by the gym doors. Sword and Blade weren’t there, meaning that he was waiting for someone.

Galacta looked over at him. “What’s up?” He glanced at her, then motioned his head towards his rival. She looked in that direction and saw him. “Oh.”

When they made it to the gym, Meta pushed himself off the wall. “Dark. Can we talk for a moment? In private?” He stopped, unlinking his and Galacta’s hands. They walked into the gym together, but parted soon after.

Under the bleachers, they stayed to the wall, lest they get caught by Coach Bonkers. 

“What do you want? I don’t have all day.” He tapped his foot on the ground, showing his impatience.

“Then I shall make this quick.” He cleared his throat, pulling out a slender, black leather case. “This is for you. From Taranza.”

Dark opened it, and inside was a brand new flute. It had a shine to it, each button oiled and ready to be played. Closing the case, he gave it back to Meta and started walking away.

Meta placed a hand on Dark’s shoulder, preventing him from leaving. “I have no time to learn such a feminine instrument.”

“Would you leave your girlfriend to pull your weight instead?” He stepped back at that.

“Don’t bring Galacta into this.”

“But she is already involved with this, and has been since the beginning. Ever since Taranza started this band, she has been using her choir practice to provide vocals for our songs as well as help anyone struggling with certain notes. She has been trying her best, and you have not done anything to help.”

Dark clenched his fists. Grumbling under his breath, he took the case, opened it, pulled out the flute, and played a few notes. Satisfied, he strung a few notes together to play a quick tune. Then he remembered that Meta was standing there, watching him play. A light blush covered his face as he quickly put the flute away, snapping the case shut.

“...I’ll play for the band. But just this once.”

A smirk rose on Meta’s face as he made his way back to the main part of the gym. "Thank you, my friend."

Blush quickly rose to cover Dark's face. _Idiot._ A frown turned his lips downward. _I wish I could be friends with you, Meta Knight. Sadly, I can't._ Dark followed after him when he heard the whistle, rushing to hide the flute in his backpack.

Throughout their P.E. class, Dark shot Meta death glares, whether it was from across the football field or next to each other in the gym during warm-ups. At one point, Galacta caught on to what he was doing and questioned him.

“So, what happened between you and Meta earlier? You seem peeved.”

He looked over at her, sighed, and shook his head. “It’s nothing.”

Poking his arm, she reiterated, “What’s going on? You’re never _this_ quiet unless someone pissed you off or embarrassed you, the latter never really happening. So what’s up?”

Dark finally stopped, averting his eyes. “...He made me do it.”

“What?”

“He told me that you were in Taranza’s little band and that I was being a bad boyfriend by not doing it with you.” _At least, that’s what it sounded like to me._

They stood there for a moment. Galacta stared Dark in the eyes, reading them. Her close proximity to his face made him blush, breaking eye contact. A soft giggle came from Galacta as she moved back, continuing their lap around the track. He trailed after her.

She stopped, turning on her heel. “He’s wrong.” Dark stopped. “Though I am glad you’re helping Taranza, you choosing to not play in his band doesn’t make you a bad boyfriend. I’m sure he didn’t say that exactly, but regardless, it was your choice, and I wasn’t going to try and change your mind. That would have been selfish of me, after all.”

“Galacta…”

She walked over to him, cupping his face with both hands. “You’re the best boyfriend I’ve ever had…”

He placed his hands on top of hers, smirking. “And the only boyfriend you’ll ever have. For a long time.”

“How can you be so sure?” she asked, laughing.

“Because I’ll make sure to keep you happy, no matter what.” She laughed again, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

He moved his hands down, pulling her close. They looked each other in the eyes, moving in closer and closer…

“Oi! Quit it with your teen romance stuff and start walking, slackers!” Coach Bonkers was glaring at them from the bleachers, Grill beside him. They quickly separated, making a beeline for the gym’s outdoor entrance. Galacta entered first, so as to not arouse suspicion. Then Dark, when Coach Bonkers wasn’t looking, followed after her.

~~

After school that day, Meta sent Taranza a message, informing him on Dark’s addition to the band. The message he received back was “Wow! Thank you so much, Meta Knight! I really appreciate it!”, followed by three smiling face emotes.

He cracked a smile himself, sending a brief “It was my pleasure” before plugging in his phone and going to sleep.


	5. When Glass Shatters...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You know what happens when a window is already cracked, but something keeps hitting it anyway? If you don't, you'll find out soon enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll admit that this is one of the chapters that I had to edit to hell and back. I apologize if it seems weird, but I promise the rest of the story will bring everything to light eventually.

Now that the whole class was in the band, the songs were sounding better than ever. Near the end of their second piece, someone blared their horn on a high note by accident. Catching it, Taranza cut the band off.

“Who blasted? I need to know so I can help you.” He wasn’t mad, truly. Their fast progress was bound to have a few slip-ups every now and then.

Dedede frowned, turning his head away. “It sure wasn’t me! I was doing just fine before you stopped us!”

Taranza nodded, remembering the sound. “Yes, it was too high-pitch to be the tuba or the trombone… Marx and Magolor, can you play your parts from the last measure marker?” They did as he said, and another blasted note played out before the final five measures of the song. “Let me see which note that is… Okay, Marx, play the third note of the second-to-last measure you just played.”

Marx’s eyes went wide. Not many knew, but Marx actually didn’t like being put on the spot. Yes, he loved attention, but only if he asked for it; any unwarranted attention made him either nervous or agitated. His hands trembled, and his throat felt tight as he slowly raised his trumpet to his face and attempted the high note. _Come on, Marx. Calm down. Remember what_ he _told you before._ It came out as barely a sound.

“Come on, punk! You can do better than that!” Dedede shouted.

“I’m _trying_ , but if _someone_ wasn’t pressuring me, then I would be able to actually play well!” Though he tried to express his frustration, his voice trembled from his anxiety.

Dedede rose from his seat, making sure to avoid knocking into any of the instruments. As he approached Marx, a smirk appeared on his face. He was about to rest his hand on Marx’s shoulder when something pushed him back. 

Grunting, Dedede stumbled back, falling into one of the chairs. He nearly tipped the chair, but Kirby ran up to hold the chair in place. Magolor was kneeling on his chair, back towards the conductor’s stand. His arm was extended towards Dedede, fingers clenching into a fist as he pulled back.

“ _Back. Off._ ” His voice was low, threatening. A thick silence filled the band room as Magolor and Dedede stared each other down. Marx was sitting there, eyes darting between the two.

Meta, now standing from his piano stool, looked at Taranza and saw his expression. It was paler than usual, his eyes glazed over as water built up in their corners. Any joy he felt earlier was completely gone. Magolor looked at his boyfriend and was shocked by his expression.

Instead of letting his emotions out, Taranza lowered his gaze to his feet. “Marx, come see me tomorrow and I’ll help you with your part. Everyone, you are dismissed for the day.” With that, he swiftly left the bandroom. Susie followed him, giving Magolor a death glare on her way out.

~~

Taranza and Susie were currently at Taranza’s house, sitting on his couch in silence. The incident with Magolor happened only a few hours ago, but it was still fresh in their memory.

Looking up from her phone, Susie glanced over at her friend. “Do you wanna… talk about it?”

He went to shake his head, but sighed heavily instead. “It’s just, this isn’t the only time Magolor has done something like this. But this time was… different. I saw the look in Dedede’s eyes; he wasn’t going to hurt Marx.”

Susie nodded. “I saw it, too. That idiot doesn’t even realize how much stress he puts on you when he does stuff like that.”

Though he didn’t want to, Taranza nodded. “He’s been like this since we met, even before we started dating.”

“Really?”

“Yes. The most notable time was when the Landia brothers would mess with me for being the new kid back in seventh grade. When he found out about it, he single-handedly beat them up, leaving them in the back of the school. Thankfully, they were found by Kirby and brought to the nurse’s office. I was told this story before Magolor and I started dating, and at the time, I felt honored. He was willing to fight for me, no matter what happened to him.” 

He took a deep breath, trying to steady his racing heart. “But, looking back on it now, I’m ashamed to have been honored. As they say, the ends don’t justify the means.”

Susie placed a comforting hand on Taranza’s shoulder. “If his actions make you uncomfortable, you need to tell him. Bringing it to his attention is the best thing to do, so that he’ll _hopefully_ work to change that.”

Shaking his head, he replied, “It won’t work. I’ve actually done that once, and it ended with him getting upset, saying that I was being ungrateful. The guilt building inside me forced me to apologize because, if I didn’t, I would have lost him to a foolish argument.”

A sharp inhale through teeth brought Taranza’s attention to Susie’s face. She looked to be seething, holding back her anger. But he could feel her grip tightening a bit on his shoulder.

Removing her hand, Susie took a quick breath before clapping both of her hands on Taranza’s cheeks. “You need to stop being such a people pleaser!”

He tilted his head. “People pleaser?”

“You are a person who worries more about other people’s happiness than your own happiness. You’re too selfless. What you just told me proves my point exactly. Magolor, for those times you mentioned, was in the wrong. You had no need to apologize for anything. He threw a fit to get you to feel guilty.” She lowered her voice before continuing. “Yes, he cares, but his care isn’t the kind that you want, is it?”

Taranza spaced out, thinking about Susie’s words. _She’s… Susie is right. I hate to say it, but she is correct. Magolor used to be sweet- wait, no, he was sweet when I was happy, but when I was even the tiniest bit upset, he was set off. His concern and protectiveness of me became overbearing. I’ve been denying it ever since I heard that story because I didn’t want to believe that he could be like that. However, the truth is always the hardest thing to swallow, especially in romance._

“...you’re right.” He broke down, tears rushing from his eyes and down his face. Susie, startled by his mood change, pulled him close. “The crush I had on Magolor blinded me from the truth. Susie, what am I going to do? If I tell him, then he’ll never want to be my friend again!”

Before she could respond, two soft knocks sounded from Taranza’s front door. Susie released her friend to answer it. When she opened the door, it was Marx standing there, eyes staring at the ground.

“Marx? What’s up?” she greeted.

He glanced up at her. “I need to talk with Taranza. Is he home?” She turned around to ask Taranza if he could come in, and he sent her a faint nod. Turning back around, she moved aside to let the jester in.

Marx sat down next to Taranza. The young conductor quickly wiped his eyes. “What is the matter, Marx? You seem distressed.”

“I wanted to talk about what you said earlier. My lessons tomorrow, I mean. If… If you’re not up to it, it’s fine. I can-”

Taranza remembered what happened in the bandroom earlier and gasped. “Oh! I have been meaning to apologize to you, Marx! Sorry for putting you on the spot like that earlier today! I should have known that you would be uncomfortable.”

They went back and forth like that for a while, apologizing and compromising over Marx’s practice for the part he was struggling with. Finally done with it, Susie threw pillows at both of them. It shut them up as they looked curiously at her.

“Jeez, you guys are too soft for your own good. I guess it’s my job to help you grow backbones. Get ready!” As they were scrambling to reach cover, Susie started throwing multiple pillows at a time. Catching on, Marx grinned, picking up the pillows that had landed next to him. Taranza, on the other hand, was trying to hide behind the couch to escape the fluffy onslaught.

Marx shuffled over to him, handing him a pillow. “Come on, Ran-ran! We gotta fight back!” Seeing the eager grin on his friend’s face made him smile as well. He grabbed the pillow and threw it. It hit a little too close to home, though; the pillow hit Susie square in the face. The boys could feel her rage from across the room, but an evil cackle dispersed it as the pillow fight continued.

_I need to talk with Magolor and explain how I truly feel. Hopefully everything will be okay once this is over..._


	6. Tape Can't Fix Everything

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You've waited for a while, so I'll show you what happens when you break an already cracked window.

There was only a month and a half left before their concert, and Taranza’s nerves were showing, despite his attempts to stay calm. Why was he nervous? Because today was the day he would talk with Magolor. They hadn’t spoken with each other since before the incident, and Taranza was determined to close the distance.

“Now, before we end today’s rehearsal, I want Marx and Magolor to play the part they previously blasted. If you can play it right two times in a row, I will reveal the last piece to you before we leave.”

Magolor raised his french horn to his face. Marx set his trumpet in position. Together, they played their part flawlessly. The class gave a round of applause, causing a light blush to rise to Marx’s face. Magolor remained stolid. They played it again, the result still the same. More clapping came before everyone settled down.

Taranza was also clapping, albeit with his other, not connected hands. “Magnificent, you two! Now, our last song will be a piece I hold close to my heart. It’s a bit harder than the other two, but I believe you all can learn it with no problem.” Handing Susie the small stack of sheet music, she began to pass it out as he continued to explain. “This song is called  _ Fatal Blooms in Moonlight _ , though it has an intro piece called  _ Last-Minute Hero _ . If you’ve been paying attention, then you’ll notice the theming of our songs. Can anyone tell me what that theme is?”

Blade spoke up. “The songs tell the story of a warrior going on a journey.”

He nodded. “Correct. I apologize if this all seems unnecessary, but I’m curious. Does anyone know what each song symbolizes?”

This time, Meta answered the question. “The first song,  _ Green Greens _ , represents the beginning of a journey. Hope, courage, and determination fill the warrior’s heart. The second song,  _ Puppeteer of Devastation _ , shows the twist in the warrior’s journey, when betrayal, death, and the unexpected happen. The intro section of the final song, called  _ Last-Minute Hero _ , likely shows the protagonist coming back from his moment of weakness. Finally,  _ Fatal Blooms in Moonlight _ is the final battle, when the warrior knows the truth and is fighting against what prevents him from achieving his goals.”

A smaller round of applause came from a few of their classmates. Warmth rose to Taranza’s face as he looked at Meta.  _ He… understood it completely!  _ Before he could space out, he nodded, giving two thumbs-ups.

“You’re exactly right! I felt the theme was fitting, since we’ve powered through any roadblocks that prevented us from learning these songs. Sorry, I know this must sound weird, but I’m extremely grateful for all of your help with this.” Clearing his throat, he added, “We only have a month and a half left before the concert. Remember to come to rehearsals so you don’t miss anything! You are dismissed.”

Everyone made their way out of the bandroom. However, before he left, Meta approached Taranza.

Their eyes met and Taranza’s face warmed up, just like it did a moment ago. “That was very clever theming, Taranza. I applaud your creativity.” With a nod, he said, “Farewell. Until the next rehearsal.”

His heart was racing, and warmth swelled in his chest. He smiled, trying to comprehend this feeling, but it stopped when he felt the menacing aura behind him. Turning around, he found Magolor standing there.

“I see you’re in a good mood,” he began. “What was that just now, between you and Meta?”

Resisting the urge to flinch under the pressure, Taranza gave his “boyfriend” a response. “It was nothing. He was just saying goodbye before he left for the day.”

He gave a light “tch”. “Don’t lie to me. You like him, don’t you? You’re just going to abandon me for that regal-looking-”

“ _ If you would let me speak for myself _ , I actually had something I wanted to talk with you about.” Hearing the force and aggravation behind his words, Magolor backed down, shoving his hands in his pockets.

_ This is it, Taranza. Remember what Susie told you. You can do this! _ “What you did before was wrong.”

That touched a nerve. “ _ Excuse  _ me? I protected Marx from getting beaten up by that muscle-brained idiot! What was wrong about that?”

“Your method of handling it was wrong. Instead of reacting on instinct, you should have thought to use diplomacy before jumping to conclusions.”

Magolor’s rage had reached its boiling point. “Oh,  _ I’m sorry.  _ Have you ever considered that maybe talking it out  _ doesn’t work _ ? That some people can only be stopped by using their methods against them?”

Taranza, who was trying his best to not lose his composure, snapped. “What if he  _ wasn’t  _ trying to hurt Marx? You might have just assumed his intentions! Have you  _ ever  _ considered that you could be  _ wrong _ ?”

His shouting caught Magolor off-guard. “Ranza?”

“Later that day, after I dismissed everyone from rehearsal, Marx came over to my house. He told me that Dedede didn’t intend to harm him at all. Dedede called him soon after it happened and explained that he only wanted to help him calm down.”

“But he walked up to Marx as if to-”

“That was because of their arrangement!”

Silence fell over them.

“Their… arrangement?”

“Yes. From what they told me, Marx asked Dedede to help him overcome his anxiety, to keep himself from panicking under pressure. When Dedede was approaching Marx, I could see the look in his eyes; he was not going to hurt him.”

Once again, Magolor was left speechless. He couldn’t believe it;  _ is that really the truth? Or is it a convenient lie?  _ A light went off in his head.

“How do you know for sure that he wasn’t lying? We both know that Marx is a trickster, and his skills don’t stop at lying. Dedede would also do or say anything to keep himself from getting in trouble.”

Taranza was appalled. “You would rather doubt the truth then accept you were wrong? You could have severely injured Dedede! This is just like before! The only other time I spoke out against your actions, you told me that I was being ungrateful towards you.”

“I said no such thing, Ranza! Where is this hostility coming from?”

“Yes you did! After you picked a fight with a senior student last year, I approached you and explained how I felt. When I told you what you did was wrong, like I am now, you got upset and said I was being ungrateful. The only reason why I apologized was because my guilty conscience would eat away at me if I didn’t.”

“You  _ should  _ be grateful! I stopped that guy from messing with you ever again! Without me, you would be bullied left and right without any outs.”

Something snapped in Taranza’s mind. Tears began to pool in the corners of his eyes. “So you think I can’t take care of myself? You think that I’m a helpless little boy that needs you to protect him from everything?” He choked back a sob, wiping his eyes with one of his four other hands. 

Taranza’s sob caught Magolor’s attention, and a look of regret crossed his face. “That’s not what I meant, babe-”

“ _ Enough.  _ I’ll just say it. Your actions scare me, more than any bully ever has. The way you handle issues makes me want to run from you rather than stand beside you. I can’t handle the stress of being known as the helpless boy with a violent, overprotective boyfriend. I’m sorry, truly I am, but I have to break up with you. I would be lying to myself and not considering my own happiness if I didn’t.”

He turned and walked towards the exit. Before he left, he muttered, “Goodbye, Magolor.” 

Magolor was left alone in the bandroom. He curled his hands into fists and punched the wall.  _ He left me, just like that!  _ The rage from before soon subsided into a feeling of loneliness.  _ He left me… _ He exited the bandroom, climbing onto his bike and riding home.

~~

Pushing the doors open, Taranza shut them back and rushed off the school property. He had to get away, to run from the pain in his heart. His feet carried him, not having a set destination in mind.

When he finally stopped, he saw that he was in the center of Puffball Park. Around him were couples and families alike, taking in the cool evening air before returning home. Dog barks could be heard from a distance away, as well as someone calling out to the dog.

The sinking feeling of loneliness consumed him. He finally spoke his mind, and it ended with the worst heartbreak he had ever felt in his life. 

“Ah, Taranza. I did not expect to see you here.”

His head jerked up, looking for the person that spoke to him. It was Meta Knight! Without warning, he ran to Meta, burying his face in the chest of his friend. Meta, though he was shocked by the sudden action, gave Taranza a gentle pat on his head.

“What is the issue, my friend?”

He refused to speak, only sobs and soft gasps escaping him. Meta’s eyes widened. He grabbed the young conductor’s shoulders to gently push him back and led them to a nearby bench so they could talk comfortably. Taking a deep breath, he explained what happened between himself and Magolor. Once he was done talking, he was bawling again. Meta rubbed his hand up and down the crying boy’s back, trying his best to comfort him.

After a few moments, Meta spoke up. “I am surprised to hear about this.” He opened his mouth to say something, but quickly closed it. Then, with some time spent thinking it over, he said, “If you need someone to come to, even if it’s just to cry for a while, I am here for you.”

Taranza sat up quickly, a strange feeling of familiarity coming from hearing Meta’s words. “Do you… Do you mean it?”

“Yes. I would not joke about this.”

“Of course. Sorry, I am just trying to process everything that has happened today.”

Meta looked up at the sky, watching the sun set. “Severing ties with one you love can be hard to accept, especially if you were with them for a long time. But time heals all wounds eventually.” He looked down at Taranza with a rare, tender smile. “You will move past this, my friend. I believe in you.”

For what felt like the hundredth time for him, Taranza felt tears building in his eyes.  _ No, I need to stop crying. I’ve done enough of that for a lifetime. _ Before he could wipe them away, Meta’s gloved thumb lightly stroked under his eyes, doing the task for him. They sat there for a moment, looking into each other’s eyes.

Something began to beep and, looking down at his wrist, Taranza saw that the alarm on his watch was going off. He jumped up off the bench, scrambling to get himself together.

He bowed deeply to Meta. “Thank you so very much for being here with me, Meta. Sadly, I have to leave.”

“No worries, my friend. I’m glad I could help you in your time of need.”

“So am I. See you tomorrow!”

“Farewell.” The young conductor ran off.

Meta let out a heavy sigh, covering his face with his hands as soon as Taranza left.  _ I can’t believe I got so close to him. His face was right there, and I had the audacity to touch him without his permission. After his breakup with Magolor, no less!  _ Pulling out his phone, he sent a message to Sword and Blade through their group chat.

~

Hey. Are you guys able to come over?

S: Yeah. What’s up?

B: Is everything okay, Meta?

If you can, come to my 

house in ten minutes. 

I need to talk to you guys.

S: Alright. I have something

I need to finish real quick 

but I’ll be there soon.

B: Hang on. I’m coming right now.

Thank you guys.

~

Sighing, Meta slipped his phone back into his pocket and made his way home. When he got there, Blade was sitting on the front steps, scrolling through her phone. She looked up and waved, turning her phone off and putting it away.

“I know you said ten minutes, but I was free, so I came right away.” He let her in, closing the door behind them. Sitting on the bar stools in the kitchen, Blade turned her attention to Meta. “Now, what happened?”

As he opened his mouth to answer, the doorbell rang. He moved to open it, and Sword was standing there with a grocery bag in his right hand. Meta let him in, closing and locking the door before joining them at the kitchen counter.

Sword set the bag down on the nearby table, taking out everything he brought. “I didn’t know what was going on, so I bought a few snacks and drinks in case this ended up being a sleepover. Mom said that we could stay over, but we had to be back tomorrow.” Pulling out a candy bar, he went to sit next to Blade. “Now that we’re all here, it’s time to talk.”

Taking a deep breath, Meta recounted what happened a short time earlier. He remembered how fragile Taranza looked, how utterly heartbroken he was. “I told him that I would be there for him when he needed someone. On instinct, I wiped his tears away, but it was a foolish thing to do. That kind of touch should be saved for lovers, not friends. But I just…” He trailed off to catch his breath. Sword and Blade were listening intently, eyes focused on his hands as they moved along with his words. “I messaged you guys to ask for your input.”

Realizing that he was done, Sword let out a few short laughs. “Well, to be blunt, you seem to be a gay mess right now.” Blade elbowed him in the side for that. “Ow! Hey, I’m not entirely wrong!”

She huffed. “Though that was  _ very blunt _ , you’re right.” She walked over to the table and picked up the bottle of tea, taking a sip before continuing. “What’s going on is you like Taranza. Like,  _ like _ -like. You know?”

“Of course I know that.” Now that surprised them. Blade did a spit take, while Sword almost choked on a piece of his candy bar.

“Wait wait wait. Hold the phone. You  _ like _ Taranza?”

“Yes. I have for a long time. Since eighth grade, I believe.” The twins looked at each other, then looked back at Meta. “Is it really that surprising?”

“It is! I didn’t even know you liked guys in the first place! This is news to us both, actually.”

Blade nodded. “Yeah. Well, the only advice I can give you is to keep your feelings a secret for a little bit longer. At least until after everything is settled down between Magolor and Taranza.”

Meta nodded. Sword got up, retrieved a box of strawberry Pocky, and handed it to his friend. Thanking him quietly, Meta opened the box and put one in his mouth. Finishing the one in his mouth, Meta pulled out another Pocky stick and took a bite.

Sword stood and ran over to the entertainment center across the house, browsing through Meta’s movie collection. “Since we’re here, how about movie night?” He slid his finger across the spines of the plastic cases until he found the one he was looking for. Smiling, he pulled it off the shelf. “I just found the perfect one, too! Whatcha think about watching  _ Kung Pow: Enter the Fist _ ?”

A heavy sigh came from Blade, while Meta was struggling to hold back his laugh. “That movie’s so dumb, though.” She went over to the shelf, browsing for another movie. Taking it out of the row, she said, “How about  _ Avengers _ ?”

Both of the siblings were now looking at Meta. “So, which one?” they asked simultaneously. Chuckling to himself, Meta joined them in the search for a movie and found one he had been wanting to watch for a while. 

He rose from his knees, showing them what movie it was. “If you don’t mind, I have wanted to watch  _ The Secret World of Arrietty  _ for a while now.”

A brief silence filled the room before they all started laughing. Once they calmed down, Sword decided to settle the choice with a game of Rock-Paper-Scissors; whoever beat the other two in a best-of-three game would get their movie played.

Blade lost to them both; Meta beat Blade but lost to Sword; Sword beat them both. “Sweet!  _ Kung Pow: Enter the Fist _ it is!” His sister rolled her eyes, smiling despite her annoyance. Meta shook his head, smiling as well.

While Sword slipped the movie into Meta’s PS4, Blade popped popcorn and Meta brought the snacks Sword bought earlier to the couch. Everything was ready, and they sat down to watch the movie.

_ I don’t know what will happen between myself and Taranza, but I hope that he will accept my feelings, even if he does not return them. I want to be there for him, as a pillar he can lean on for support whenever he needs it. _


	7. Can You Repair What's Been Broken?

There were only two weeks left before the concert. _Last-Minute Hero_ and _Fatal Blooms in Moonlight_ were coming along nicely, though not as smoothly as Taranza hoped they would. Ever since their breakup a month ago, Magolor hadn’t talked to him. Some days, he didn’t even come to school.

Taranza wanted to say that everything was going fine between them before “the incident”, but that would be a lie. All he could do now is hope that he gave his ex the space he needed.

But the worst part was that Magolor had stopped coming to rehearsals. It was one thing for him to avoid Taranza in and out of school, but to abandon him completely was really taxing. The songs needed the french horn accompaniment, and nobody else could play the part in his place. If he didn’t come back, then all of the rehearsals would have been for nothing, and Ms. Adeline would punish him for not completing the task she gave him.

“Susie and Dark, make sure your pitch is right so Galacta can synchronize correctly.” Lifting their instruments, they played in tune, Galacta’s voice blending perfectly. It sounded beautiful, but the french horn part that went with it would have made it heavenly. After a repeat attempt for that part, he moved on.

“Dedede, play your part with Marx for the last line we played a moment ago. I need to make sure you’re using the right volume so that the bass doesn’t overpower his melody.” Taking a deep breath, Dedede went through the line, making sure to keep his part quiet enough to hear Marx’s melody. It went smoothly both times.

“Alright, we’ll take a short break before running through the whole song. Make sure you know your parts and make any needed adjustments.” He hopped down from the pedestal and went into one of the practice rooms.

Inside, there was a keyboard with large shelves of sheet music beside it. Taranza sat in front of the piano, turning it on. The notebook he had written in earlier that week was still there, his first song almost complete. He played a few notes, part of a different song, before preparing his other hands.

The song was heavy with emotion. With the melody carrying hope for a better outcome, and the harmony denying that hope with a harsh truth. As he played, he remembered everything that led up to this; the naivete, childlike awe and his fear of speaking up that kept him from seeing the truth. 

Unbeknownst to him, someone was listening to his song from behind the door.

Once he stopped playing, the listener knocked on the door, startling him. Scrambling to turn the keyboard off and hide his notebook, he called, “Come in”, and in came Susie. “Oh, hello, Susie.” He turned himself around to face her, trying to act calm. “Is there something you need?”

“Everyone is ready to play. They’re waiting for you to lead them through.”

“Oh! Just give me a moment and I’ll be right there!”

Before she left the room, she muttered something under her breath.

“Huh?” But she was already back in the main room. Letting out a sigh, he followed suit, taking his place at the podium.

Everyone was in their seats, waiting to go through their final piece. Taranza picked up his conducting baton and tapped his music stand twice. “Sorry to keep you waiting. Are you ready to run through _Last-Minute Hero_ and _Fatal Blooms in Moonlight_?” A harmonized “Yes” sounded from most everyone. “Alright. Remember to watch me for your cues.”

Giving them a four-beat countoff, they began. Despite a few tempo issues, everyone played their parts very well. Pleased with the results, Taranza led them through to the end. A few stumbles here and there, but they finished it on a good note.

“And done!” He gave them the cutoff motion. “Great job, guys! You’ve improved immensely since we started! All we need to do is work on keeping the tempo steady and refining that ending. Other than that, we’re good to start running through the concert schedule. You are dismissed.” Taranza’s heart was racing, but it wasn’t from nerves, much to his relief. A strange feeling overcame him; something akin to pride for how far they’ve gotten.

Susie walked up to Taranza, handing him a folded piece of paper. He unraveled it and saw it was a pamphlet. It was their song schedule, everything from the introduction speech to the names of everyone who would be playing. Skimming over the names, he saw Magolor tagged with playing the french horn.

_Magolor... I wonder how he’s doing..._ Folding the pamphlet back, he slipped it into his music score and packed his things. He left after saying goodbye to everyone.

Pulling out his phone, Taranza opened his messaging app. There was still a chat between himself and Magolor from the beginning of the school year and, when he opened it, he saw that the last message sent between them was from over two months ago. Breathing in deeply, he let out that breath and sent a message.

~

Hello Magolor. I’ve noticed that you 

aren’t going to school as often as

you should. Are you feeling alright?

M: Don’t talk to me.

~

Taranza frowned. The response was immediate, and he could hear the venom in those few words. His heart clenched. Mustering up as much courage as he could, he continued.

~

I know the last time we talked

wasn’t pleasant, but I want

to make things right. 

Even though I broke up with 

you, I still want to be friends. 

Can we talk in person sometime soon?

M: I said don’t talk to me. Leave me alone.

~

His hands trembled as he questioned whether continuing this was the best idea. _Does he really resent me that much?_ Deciding to let it go for the time being, he exited his message line with Magolor. Though he doesn’t regret speaking his mind, it still hurt that they couldn’t at least talk normally. Even if they only spoke about something weird like the weather, any time spent attempting to rebuild their friendship was worth it in Taranza’s eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For context, I believe I wrote it to where a month passed between their breakup and Chapter 7, just so it doesn't seem like Taranza is being pushy.


	8. Behind the Curtains, Performers Tremble with Anxiety

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's less than 24 hours before their big debut! Hopefully everything goes smoothly!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any constructive criticism on how to describe the feelings and/or thoughts orchestral music gives a person would be appreciated :)

This was it. The last day before their concert. Everyone was both excited and nervous about it, but one thing was for sure between them all; when they stepped up on that stage, it would be game time.

Rubbing his unattached hands together behind his back, Taranza raised his arms up, giving the band a four beat countoff. 

The opening to _Green Greens_ started, rising in volume as the bouncy notes started the story. A warrior, brave and true, set out into the world to find himself. He meets many people, and even makes friends along the way. Galacta’s voice filtered in, blending her tone with the higher woodwinds as she sang of the hero’s tale. It was a song filled with hope, determination, and joy.

After a moment to switch songs, _Puppeteer of Devastation_ started, taking a much darker tone. Daroach and Susie’s duet took center stage, accompanied by a soft bass line. Bandana Dee’s drum beat kept pace as Blade traded with the duo to play her solo. The brass harmony emphasized the madness hidden beneath the notes. Galacta’s vocals carried the tone well, setting the scene for the betrayal towards their hero.

With a fading outro, the band shuffled through their music, pulling out _Last-Minute Hero_ and _Fatal Blooms in Moonlight_. Taranza looked towards everyone, silently reminding them of their specific cues or adjustments from before. His eyes glanced at Magolor’s empty seat, but he looked away before he lost his nerve. Taking a deep breath, he started slowly, building up with _Last-Minute Hero_ before starting _Fatal Blooms in Moonlight_. 

Meta and Kirby’s intro lead the band into the song smoothly. Soon, Susie and Dark took the melody, followed by the brass and lower woodwinds. Once again, Galacta kept her head high, singing of the hero’s final battle against the one who stands in his way, each crash of the symbols emphasizing the feeling of finale. The song held an underlying sorrow, for the hero and villain were friends only a short time ago, and now had to fight to the death. Blade’s violin swept them along as the intensity and emotion increased tenfold.

Finally, a softer rendition of the chorus was played, fading on Galacta’s slightly wavering voice and Dark’s extended note. Lowering his hands, Taranza signaled for them to rest their instruments. He used his four other hands to motion for each row to stand, from the back to the front. Releasing the breath he didn’t know he was holding, Taranza let his arms fall.

A moment of silence passed before a large round of applause filled the bandroom. “That was excellent, you guys! Every last person here should be proud of themselves!” They celebrated their hard work, giving each other pats on the back or chatting about what they did to play it better. It felt like everything was truly coming together in a nice bow. 

Surveying the group, his eyes again gazed towards the empty seat. His heart felt heavy, remembering how eager Magolor had been to help him do this. A hand on his shoulder brought Taranza out of his thoughts. Beside him was Meta Knight.

“Are you alright, my friend? You seem less than jovial.”

Sighing, Taranza turned to look him in the eyes. “I am upset, yes. Though we have made significant progress in terms of our playing ability, it isn’t complete without everyone here to make it whole.” He pressed the heel of one of his hands to his forehead, closing his eyes. “Sorry. I’m dwelling on things that are beyond my power. If you would excuse me for a moment.” Without another word, he left Meta there, walking out of the band room with his phone in hand.

He wanted to race after him, to help relieve him of any undue stress. His breakup with Magolor was weighing heavily on the young conductor’s heart, but he couldn’t do anything to help. 

Susie came over to him, a confused look on her face. “What’s up, Meta?” She looked in the direction he was and made an “o” shape with her mouth. “Taranza?” He nodded once. 

“Don’t chase after him. He wants to resolve this through his own power, because he believes that will prove to Magolor that he is capable of handling things without relying on others. But Magolor won’t let him have that victory because he won’t listen to Taranza.” Susie sighed heavily, shaking her head in disappointment. “That idiot doesn’t understand how hard this is on both of them. Instead, he’s being selfish and pushing all the guilt onto Taranza.”

Meta hummed in thought as an idea came to him. He turned to face Susie. “If I may ask, what does Taranza like?”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “What does he like?” Thinking for a minute, she replied, “Well, he likes boba tea. All teas, really, except for green tea. He has a major sweet tooth. Anything plant-themed will make him happy, too. Especially flowers.” Realizing that she had gone into more detail than intended, she asked, “Why do you want to know?”

He smirked, but it was almost invisible. “Just curious. Thank you, Susie.”

Watching Meta leave, Susie began to piece together what he was going to do. “Just don’t go overboard, Mr. Knight,” she muttered, joining Blade near the back door.

~~

Outside of the bandroom, Taranza paced up and down the cement walkway connecting the school building and the parking lot. He had his phone to his ear, speaking in an almost panicked voice.

“Magolor, please! Hear me out!”

“I don’t want to talk. What don’t you understand?” _*click*_

Taranza blinked his tears away, keeping his voice steady as he dialed Magolor’s number again. 

_Ring… Ring… Beep beep beep. Leave a message after the tone. *beep*_

“Magolor, I know I hurt your feelings, but I couldn’t lie to you or myself any longer. I’m hurting as well, but I also know that I can’t let this hold me back. Though this may be selfish, I have a favor to ask. Please come to play at the concert. You can ignore me for the rest of your life if you want, but I need you there so this will all go smoothly. If you can, please meet us at the Dreamland Theatre tomorrow at noon. Goodbye.” His voice cracked a few times, but he did his best to keep his voice steady.

He then pressed the hang up button, falling against the outer wall of the bandroom. The tears he had been holding back were now free-flowing. Broken sobs escaped him as he curled into himself, pulling his knees to his chest and wrapping his arms around his knees. Burying his face in his arms, he let the feeling of hopelessness he had tried to suppress consume him.

As his attention waned, he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket.

~~

Magolor threw his phone onto his bed, ignoring the *ping* sound it made as it landed. _Why won’t he just leave me alone? I don’t want to think about_ that _right now._

He picked up his french horn and played through his parts in all four songs. Though he was loath to admit it, he had kept up with the band’s progress, even working through the more difficult parts for hours on end until he got it right multiple times in a row. He enjoyed playing the french horn, even in his downtime. However, after his breakup with Taranza, he used it as a way to vent his frustrations.

Setting his fingers in place, he started to play his part of _Fatal Blooms in Moonlight_ . As he played with the audio sample of the whole piece, a heavy feeling settled in his chest. _This song…_ He could feel the emotions tying each note together as he played alongside the recording. _This was the one Ranza said he liked a lot._ His mind conjured up memories of him and Taranza before their breakup. _When we were together…_

Tears welled up in the corners of his eyes, but he quickly wiped them away. _Those days are over now._ He _broke up with_ me _, after all._

Once he finished playing through, he packed the instrument away and shut down his computer. Flopping onto his bed, Magolor checked his phone to see what the notification from earlier was. In his inbox was a voicemail from Taranza. Scrolling through his Twitter feed, he made a mental note to listen to Taranza’s message later.

~~

Most of the class had left the room by then, but two people stayed behind. Susie and Marx were chatting when a sob from outside the room caught their attention. Following the sound, they saw Taranza curled up into himself, crying and shaking.

Hesitantly, Marx approached the young conductor. “Ran-ran?” he whispered, moving his hand to rest on the boy’s shoulder. Taranza cowered, pulling into himself even more. “Ran-ran, what’s wrong?”

Susie moved to stand beside the jester, kneeling in front of Taranza. “He’s having an anxiety attack,” she deduced.

“An anxiety attack? Isn’t that like a panic attack?”

“No. A panic attack can happen at any point in time. Anxiety attacks have triggers, something that causes the victim unwanted stress.” She rose to her feet and took a step back, pulling her phone out. She dialed someone’s number and held it up to her ear. “Marx, go get Taranza’s things and put them in my car. I’ll bring him home once he’s feeling up to it.” He nodded, running back to the bandroom.

The phone rang two times before the other person picked up. “Hello?”

“Hey. We need you to come back to the school. Taranza is not doing good and he won’t let us near him. It’s my theory that he’ll let you get close, though.”

A pause, and then, “I am on my way.” _*click*_

Sighing, Susie looked back at Taranza. _Magolor better be prepared for the hell I’m gonna give him once this whole band thing is over._

~~

After some time, a black sports car pulled up to the school and out came Meta Knight, holding a grocery bag in his hands. He saw where Susie was standing and rushed over to her. Looking behind her, he felt his eyes widen as he took in Taranza’s curled up form.

“What caused this?”

“I assume it’s because of stress. Ever since their breakup, Taranza’s been pushing himself to do more than he normally would. That likely strained his focus as well as his mental energy,” she explained, walking with Meta towards the young conductor.

Marx was sitting a short distance away from Taranza, watching him with concerned eyes. Sensing the tension, Meta requested they give the duo some space. Susie took Marx’s hand and pulled him to his feet, bringing him to her car.

Once Susie started her car, Marx let out a heavy sigh. “You think Ran-ran’s gonna be okay?”

“He’ll pull through. Taranza’s too stubborn to let this hold him back for long.”

Now that they were alone, Meta took a seat beside Taranza. He could hear the boy’s shallow breaths, and he was now visibly trembling. To test his limits, he reached over to touch him. A muffled “don’t touch me” made him flinch.

“Taranza, my friend,” he began, “you need to steady your breathing.”

“I can’t… My head won’t stop spinning, _his_ voice shouting at me to leave him alone. I’m trying so hard to make this work, but it’s not working.” He began to ramble, his voice only a faint whisper.

Though he didn’t show it, Meta’s heart was breaking at the sight of the one he cared for most in this state. _He needs something to take his mind off of whatever is stressing him out._ His gaze landed on the grocery bag he brought with him. _He needs a distraction._

Reaching into the grocery bag beside him, he pulled out a packaged slice of mixed berry cake and a bottle of sweet tea. He set it on the ground in front of them and cleared his throat, trying to get Taranza to look up.

When that didn’t work, Meta spoke up. “I brought you a treat, Taranza. Susie told me that you really like these, so I bought some for you.” No response. He picked up the cake and held it so Taranza could see it.

He slowly looked up, eyeing the cake in Meta’s hands. “I can… have this?” he muttered, his voice shaking.

Meta only nodded.

Stretching out his legs, the young conductor reached for the cake. Meta ignored the spark he felt when their fingers lightly brushed. Taranza’s connected hands were shaking as he opened the plastic container. Picking up the fork, he took a bite and his tear-stained face lit up. A faint smile rose to his lips as he continued to eat. He reached for the bottle of tea and twisted the top off, taking a sip. 

Meta watched as he slowly reverted back to being his old self. Soon he was smiling, sipping the last few drops of drink before setting the bottle next to the plastic container.

The young conductor turned to look at Meta. “Thank you for this, truly.” A blush spread across Meta’s face. 

He looked away, covering his face to hide it. “It was my pleasure.”

After a moment, Taranza muttered, “When you found me in the park that day… You really meant what you said.”

“Of course. I never back down from a promise, especially if it’s one for a dear friend.” _Friend._ Oddly enough, that word felt like poison as he said it. Though he wanted to be _more_ than friends, if he could just be there, that would be enough.

The conductor chuckled. “Right. Well, we better get going, before the teachers catch us staying here longer than the curfew allows.” He didn’t know if he was imagining it, but Meta swore that he heard a hint of disappointment in his tone. As Taranza stood to leave, Meta’s body moved on its own, grabbing his wrist to keep him there.

“Meta?”

“Quédate conmigo. Por favor, querido,” he muttered, his second language speaking for him. _Stupid fool! He’s sure to know Spanish, so why would you let that slip? I should just-_

“I’ll stay, if that’s what you want.” He slid his arm through Meta’s grip, grabbing his classmate’s hand and pulling him to his feet. “Let’s go to my house. We can speak there.”

He nodded. Taranza let go of Meta’s hand, making his way to Susie’s car to retrieve his things. When he opened the back seat doors and grabbed his things, Marx looked over the passenger seat.

“You alright, Ran-ran?”

“Yeah. Meta is driving me home. We have some... things to talk about.”

Susie looked up from her phone, giving him a pointed look. “Don’t push him away. He wants to help because he cares, like the rest of us. You don’t need to prove anything, Taranza, because you already have.”

Taranza paused for a moment before nodding. Once he left, Marx turned to Susie. “I thought you were gonna bring him home. Why would you let him go with Meta?”

All she said was “Plans change” and drove out of the school’s parking lot, a small smile on her face.


	9. Warmth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After all of the drama, Taranza gets a moment to clear his head and chill.

The ride to Taranza’s home wasn’t long, but it felt like it took hours. Meta stayed quiet, still mentally reprimanding himself for letting his feelings slip. Meanwhile, Taranza was looking out the window, thinking about everything that had happened since he started this endeavor. _He called me his dearest, but did that really mean what it implied? Or was it a desperation move?_ Looking over at him, he noticed Meta’s tense shoulders. He decided to not bring it up until the car was parked and they made it to his house.

Once they were inside, he started boiling some water.

“Black, chamomile, or peppermint?”

“Black, please.”

“Sugar, milk, or both?”

“Just a spoonful of sugar.”

Setting out the cups, he placed a black tea bag in both, pouring a spoonful of sugar in each. The kettle squealed, startling the young conductor. He turned off the burner and poured hot water into the cups. The smell of fresh brewing tea filled the kitchen. Satisfied, Taranza picked up the plate of scones he made the other day, pulling the plastic wrap off and setting the plate on the kitchen island.

Meta grabbed one, biting into it absentmindedly. The flavor took him by surprise. “Chocolate scones?”

“Yes. I made them after rehearsal yesterday. I’ll admit they were like brownies when I first pulled them out, but now they’re just like scones.” Near the end, he added, “Are they good?”

“They’re delicious.” He took another bite.

Feeling that the discomfort his friend felt earlier had at least lightened up, Taranza asked, “Why did you ask me to stay earlier?”

The warm feeling Meta felt dissipated, leaving a sinking feeling in his stomach. He couldn’t confess, not when his friend was just getting over a huge breakup.

He decided to steer the conversation in a different direction. “If you do not mind, I would like to know what has been bothering you lately.”

_He's avoiding the question._ Taranza closed his eyes and took a deep breath, not letting that distract him. He kept calm, despite the pain he felt when bringing up what had been going on for the past month. “Ever since I broke up with Magolor, he’s been pushing me away. All I want is to stay friends, but he won’t hear me out. Add onto that trying to stay focused enough to conduct the band correctly. I haven’t been able to rest my mind. I guess all that stress finally took its toll on me. Sorry to worry you all.”

Meta’s brow furrowed. “You needn’t apologize. We were concerned because we care. You have already proven your strength and determination, so there is no need to place that pressure on yourself any longer.”

He laughed softly to himself, removing the teabags from the hot water. “Funny you would say that. Susie told me the same thing before we left the school.”

“She is right, and it bears repeating. It is important that we let you know we see how you are working to better yourself, despite the obstacles life keeps throwing at you.” His voice had gone soft, almost a whisper as he continued.

Taranza slid Meta his teacup, sipping from his own. An awkward silence fell between them. Even though he opened his mouth multiple times, the young conductor couldn’t get the words out.

Finally, his voice came to him. “Meta-” The man in question looked up. Taranza paused, switching questions in his mind. _When I brought it up earlier, he didn't respond. It would probably be best to wait on asking him about what he said earlier._

Instead, he asked a different question. “Have I ever told you how Susie and I first met?”

“You have not.” Meta drank from his cup, savoring the strength of the brew. “Care to spin me a yarn?”

“You have such a way with words, Meta,” he laughed. 

“We met back in third grade, about a month before summer started. I was crying at my desk because one of the students had gotten me in trouble. Back then, I was always crying, always a meek child. I didn’t expect one of the other kids to come over to me. But when I looked up, she was there. She didn’t smile, but she told me that I wasn’t in trouble anymore, and that the other kid was in timeout. Since that day, she has stuck by my side.

“Susie is an... odd person, but I likely wouldn’t be who I am today without her.”

Meta only nodded, drinking the rest of his tea. His half-eaten scone now forgotten, he motioned for Taranza to sit down. The young conductor sat down on the bar stool across from him, staring idly into his teacup. The silence, for once, was comfortable; the atmosphere itself practically screamed homeliness, as if this was natural for them to do.

A faint beeping came from Taranza’s watch as he looked down at it. “That’s my alarm to keep me from staying up too late.”

“Have you been sleeping enough?” Now that he looked closely, Meta could see dark circles under the young conductor’s eyes.

“Yeah. I’ve just had a few nights where I stayed up late preparing stuff for the concert. Nothing to worry about.” He yawned, raising his hand to cover his mouth. “I’ll see you out before you leave.” Though he didn’t say it aloud, Meta knew that there was something else keeping him awake at night. 

_Magolor_ , he thought, a small frown coming to his face. “I shall take my leave then.” As he rose from his seat at the kitchen counter, he saw that Taranza had fallen asleep. His eyes were shut, mouth open slightly. His frown was replaced by a gentle smile.

He gingerly picked Taranza up and carried the young conductor to his room. As he was laying him down, Meta noticed a picture on the nightstand.

It was himself, Taranza, Susie, Marx, and Magolor on the first day of freshman year. Kirby wanted pictures of everyone and sent copies to them once he got the photos printed. He remembered the shenanigans that occurred in class that morning, all the arguments and boisterous laughter as their teacher walked in to start the day.

Though it was a memory from a few years ago, he remembered it like it was yesterday.

  
Laying the blanket over the young conductor, he allowed himself a guilty pleasure and whispered, “Sleep well, _mi querido_.” He made sure to lock the door as he left, thankful Taranza had given him a spare key a couple weeks back. As he pulled out of the driveway, he called Susie to tell her how Taranza was doing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My friend actually made chocolate scones a while back. When they told me about it, I realized that I could use that as a little extra detail.


	10. Dreaming of Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Memories long past resurface as Taranza gets some rest before the big day.
> 
> **WARNING FOR THOSE WHO ARE SENSITIVE TO CERTAIN TOPICS** There is mentioned suicide as well as coping with grief. If you are uncomfortable with that, this is skippable, but it gives context to certain moments in the story.

_It was eighth grade, only a week after Sectonia committed suicide by walking in front of a car. I remember crying so much when I was alone. My grades dropped, Susie and Magolor were worried, but I couldn’t find the energy to care at the time._

_Sectonia had been suffering, and I couldn’t help her in her time of need. She had become what most would call “insane”, but I knew there was more to it. Her mother had remarried and her stepfather never accepted her. He would berate her, saying how she would never find a husband because she was too ugly or too high-maintenance, along with other cruel phrases to ruin her self esteem. So she worked to change herself._ _Her mother would give her advice to make sure she didn't make the same mistake she did, but those words likely got twisted by Sectonia's slowly deteriorating mindset._

_Then Dedede came into the picture. I remember Sectonia telling me about how she really liked him, so when Dedede asked if I could get him a date with her, I readily agreed. What I didn’t notice was that the Sectonia he liked might not have been there anymore._

_She started treating him more like an accessory, a tool to help her self-esteem. After some time, he confronted her, which led to their breakup._

_Her tear-stained face was one that burned itself into my memory. That was when she expressed how she really felt. “I finally get to be with the man I loved for so long and I push him away with my issues. I have nothing left to live for,” she said to me._

_I tried my best to make her feel better. Gifts, words of comfort, even offering to do all of her schoolwork so she could focus on healing. But nothing helped. Then the day came._

_That morning, I was talking with Susie when the news story popped up on my phone. I read through it and it felt like my heart had stopped. Sectonia’s body had been found crushed between a car’s frontside and a pole. For the rest of the day, I let everything sink in. Whatever was happening in the classroom didn’t register in my mind; all I could think about was Sectonia and how she died._

_The next day, I was in the same state of mind. But something was different._

_Dedede came over to my desk during study hall. He was shouting at me, and I could see tears building in his eyes. All I could do was sit there and take it. His words hurt, but at the time, I accepted them as the truth._

_Soon his yelling stopped. I glanced behind him and saw Meta, who had placed his hand on Dedede’s shoulder. “Leave him alone,” he said. “He had nothing to do with Sectonia’s death.” Though he seemed reluctant, Dedede walked back over to his seat._

_Meta watched him go, then turned to face me. Our eyes met, silver with silver, and I felt a strange warmth in my chest. Maybe it was embarrassment; maybe it was gratitude._

_A faint smile rose to his face. “Hello, Taranza.”_

_I buried my head in my arms to hide my tears. “Go away,” I muttered. I felt his presence still, so I decided to ignore him. It wasn’t because I hated him; I just wanted to be alone with my thoughts. But he stayed by my side every day, trying to get me to talk._

_Finally, when a few days had passed, I conceded._

_“What do you want?”_

_“Ah, so you finally speak to me.” I could hear the mirth in his voice, but he soon became serious. “I noticed that you were closing yourself off from everyone else, so I decided to try and bring you back.”_

_Now I was confused. Raising my head, I turned to face him. “Why are you so insistent on helping me? What if I_ want _to be alone?”_

_He sighed, staring out of the cafeteria window. “I know how you are feeling now. Secluding yourself from others is not what you need to do.” I was still confused, but I let him keep talking. “Rather than keep your feelings bottled up, you should say whatever is on your mind. It will help your broken heart heal, that I can promise you.” After a pause, he added, “If you need someone to confide in or cry with, I will be here for you.”_

_I thought about it for a moment. When Sectonia was slowly becoming more depressed, she didn’t have many people she could talk to. I became her friend after her stepfather came into the picture. She was alone during her period of suffering._ I’m putting myself in the same situation.

_When that realization hit me, I audibly gasped. Meta looked back at me, a knowing look in his eyes. “Do you see it now?” he asked. I met his gaze, nodded, and ran off to the library, where I knew Magolor was. That day, I poured my heart out to him. He held me in his arms as I sobbed, allowing myself to express everything I had been feeling for the past week._

_That memory faded, and another one appeared in its place._

_It was our sophomore year at Popstar High. Susie had just finished telling me about her promise to Blade. I was really happy for them, but I also felt something akin to envy towards them, though I couldn’t figure out why._

_As I was walking towards Ms. Adeline’s office, I bumped into someone._

_“Oh, my bad. Sorry,” I said. Looking up, I saw it was one of the seniors. He had a pure white hoodie on that cast a shadow over his face, golden thread tracing the edge of the hood._

_“You are Taranza, yes?” His voice was nasally, as if he had a cold._

_Hesitantly, I nodded. “Yes. Who are you?”_

_“I am called Hyness. You were Sectonia’s friend, were you not?”_

_I tensed._ Sectonia. _That was a name I hadn’t heard in two years. A once-healed wound began to open, but I refused to show it._

_“I know why she killed herself. The true reason. It was because of you. You let her do it because you didn’t care.” His speech was becoming faster, as if he were rambling to himself rather than chastising me. “She was left alone when she needed it. You didn’t fulfill your role as her friend. I can feel her in the afterlife, rolling in the grave, shouting at you to join her because you deserve it. You should listen to her. Heed her call before it is too late, before she haunts you for all eternity. The regret, the fear, it will cling to you until the day you die. Nothing can save you now!”_

_My hands moved to cover my ears, eyes screwed shut. “Stop it!”_

_But he kept going. The same feeling of guilt and despair came over me, just like when I first found out about her death. My knees felt ready to give out under me, ready to drop me down._

_All of a sudden, a gust of wind rushed by. Multiple sounds and feelings filled the air around me; something making impact with another surface, my body falling, the grunt from someone catching me before I hit the concrete walkway. Then all went dark._

_When I awoke, I was in the nurse’s office. I turned my head to the left. Nurse Grill was mixing ingredients for a salve, and Gooey was running between the cabinet and Grill to get the needed items._

_Turning to the right, I saw Susie and Meta sitting in the plastic chairs by the door. Susie noticed I was awake and slowly walked over to me._

_“Susie… what happened?”_

_“You fainted after Magolor started beating up Hyness.”_

_My eyes widened. “He did what?”_

_Meta was now beside her, eyes downcast. “Magolor is currently in Principal Kabu’s office, along with Hyness. He will likely be suspended from school for some time.”_

_I was silent for a moment, taking in everything they told me._ This is just like what happened with the Landia brothers _, I thought. I pressed my hands to the bed, trying to sit up, but my body refused._

_Grill had finished mixing the salve and was giving it to Gooey when she saw me move. “Oh! You’re awake, Taranza.” I tried to sit up again, but to no avail. “You need to lay down. Your body is worn out and needs rest.”_

_I stopped trying to sit up, instead moving to look at my friends again. “How long was I out?”_

_“Only a few minutes. Meta Knight here carried you in and he and Susie have been waiting for you to wake up.” A light dusting of blush covered Meta’s cheeks as he averted his eyes._

_She turned to the door when Gooey walked in. He saluted her before approaching me. His hands moved fluidly, signing his dialogue to us._

_“He asked if you needed anything before he leaves for the day,” Grill translated._

_I thought for a moment, then shook my head. “Thank you for asking, but I’ll be fine. Thank you, Gooey.” The boy smiled and saluted at us before leaving the office._

_Grill started packing up her things. “Do you have a ride, Taranza? Because you can’t stay here overnight.”_

_I opened my mouth to respond, but Meta answered for me. “I’ll take him home.” He turned to look at me. “If that’s alright with you.”_

_I nodded, the strange feeling in my chest rising again. Grill looked between us before walking after Gooey._

_Susie pulled out her phone, reading through something. Her eyes narrowed, closing as she let out a heavy sigh. “Dad’s having issues at the company, so I have to get going. Text me if you need anything, Taranza.” With that, she also left, leaving me alone with Meta._

_He cleared his throat, shifting uncomfortably. “What was Hyness saying that caused you such distress?” Silence followed his question._

_My mind was racing, remembering the harsh words Hyness had spoken. “He was… saying that I caused Sectonia to commit suicide.” I could feel my body trembling at the memory. “That I should… join her.”_

_Again, the room was quiet. I could feel the tension rising, Meta’s feelings all too apparent. Instead of voicing them, he asked a silent question of “May I?”, which I replied to with a nod._

_Placing one arm under my knees and the other under my shoulder blades, he carried me to his car. The ride to my house was a quiet one, the air tense the whole way. He quickly brought me inside, taking a moment to help me dig out my house key, and laid me down on the couch._

_That whole night, though I faded in and out of consciousness, I remember he didn’t leave my side. Sometimes I woke up hearing him talking to someone on the phone; sometimes he was reading a book in the seat across from me._

_It wasn’t until the early morning that I was able to actually wake up. My body was feeling more energized and not like lead. Pressing my hands to the cushions, I pushed myself into a sitting position. In the corner of my eye, I saw Meta sleeping in the chair, his glasses about to fall off his face. It was kind of cute, now that I think back on it._

_When I moved to stand, my shin hit the coffee table. Meta startled awake. The book in his lap fell, landing page-first onto the carpeted floor._

_His eyes met mine. “Taranza! How are you feeling?”_

_“Fine, now that I’ve gotten some rest.” That strange feeling swelled in my chest yet again._ What is this feeling? Why has it been appearing so frequently? _A thought came to mind and I dug around in my pocket to find my phone._

_I had two unread messages from Magolor._

“Hey, Ranza. How are you holding up? Parents are keeping me at home until my suspension is over.”

“Ranza, if you see this, know I don’t regret it. It was all for you.”

_Sighing, I turned my phone off and shoved it into my pocket. As I stood to walk to the kitchen, I saw Meta watching me with curiosity. “I’m making tea. Want some?”_

_I spent the rest of that day with him, just talking about random topics. Just in case another incident like this one occurred, I gave him a spare key to my house._

_Magolor’s suspension was supposed to last a week, so when the time came for him to return to school, I waited for him in the hallway. He had a smile on his face, as if he had never been suspended._

_He walked over to me and waved. “Heya, Ranza. How are-” I grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him to the abandoned classroom on the first floor. Shutting the door behind us, I let go of him. “Ranza, what’s going on?”_

Breathe in, breathe out. You can do this, Taranza. _I made sure my emotions were in check before speaking._

_“Magolor, why did you beat up Hyness?”_

_He stood there for a moment. I could see the gears turning in his head as he thought over his answer. Then he spoke. “I did it because he was harassing you.”_

_“While I appreciate the thought, you could have handled it better.”_

_His eyes widened as he took a step back. “Huh? What do you mean?”_

_“I mean you should have approached normally and asked him to stop rather than resorting to violence.”_

_“There was no way to stop his insane ramblings. Hyness is known as Popstar’s resident maniac; nothing we could have said would have stopped him.”_

_“Even so, you did not have to punch him unconscious.” I crossed my arms, planting my feet firmly on the ground. Despite my attempt at looking serious, my heart was beating out of control and my nerves were showing through the small trembles spreading through my body. I knew he could see me shaking, but I acted like it didn’t bother me._

_He gritted his teeth. “Didn’t you read my messages? I said it was for you. I thought you’d be grateful for me protecting you.”_

_“Protecting me?” I nearly lost my footing at that. “What you did was assault an innocent person!”_

_“Innocent? I think not. He was clearly harassing you. All I did was put a stop to his ramblings so that you wouldn’t be bothered anymore.”_

_“But did you take into account how that would make me feel? I passed out, so I didn’t see the fight. But if I had, I likely would have been appalled, just as I am now.” My emotions were flaring up, and I didn’t try to stop myself. This needed to be addressed now._

_Magolor clenched his fists, staring at his shoes. I heard him mutter something under his breath. I made a “hm?” sound, and he spoke up. “I said you’re being ungrateful. I did my job as your boyfriend and kept you safe, and_ this _is the thanks I get? I’m leaving. Come talk to me when you want to apologize.” He stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him._

_“Magolor, wait!” I called, but he didn’t listen. A heavy sigh escaped me. This was our first actual fight, one that sent our relationship from heartfelt love to walking on thin ice._

~~

“Magolor, wait!” I cried. My body lurched forward, hand outstretched as if reaching for _him_. Looking around, I realized I was in my bedroom, tucked under the covers. My phone light was on, meaning someone had sent me a message. I turned it on and saw it was from Susie.

_“Hey, captain. Just wanted to know if you made it home safe. Message me when you’re awake._ ”

  
 _Captain?_ I felt warmth rise to my face, embarrassed by the nickname. Looking at the clock on my nightstand, I saw it was almost 6:00 in the morning. _I might as well start getting ready for today. There are a lot of things that need to be done, after all._ After lightly smacking my face to wake myself up, I started going through my morning routine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you believe having this chapter should boost the rating to M, please let me know so I can make that adjustment please.


	11. Dawn of the Final Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's showtime.

_Today’s the day,_ Taranza thought. _Showtime!_ He peeked through the curtains; the auditorium’s seats were filled to the brim! _Ms. Adeline really went all out, didn’t she?_ Sighing, he walked back to where his friends were. Most of them were tuning their instruments or practicing any parts that gave them trouble. As he looked around, a frown rose to his face. _He didn’t come, after all..._

“What’s up, Taranza?” Susie was standing beside him, marking things off on her clipboard. He had asked her to handle checking everything before the performance, a role she took with shocking enthusiasm.

“He’s not here,” he said. She only nodded.

His eyes wandered over to the others, stopping when his eyes landed on Meta. Warmth filled his chest again, and two of his unconnected hands subconsciously moved to cover his heart.

“Stop making heart eyes at the pianist, Captain.” Taranza jumped, a fiery blush covering his face. Susie tapped one of the lines on her clipboard.

Turning to face her, he attempted to glare at her. “Susie, I told you not to call me that!”

She snickered behind her hand. “Sorry, couldn’t resist.” Her business persona swapped with her normal one. “Being serious here, I do need you to check the brass instruments’ valves and slides.”

“Will do. Give me just a moment.” With a nod, she walked off, leaving him alone again. Taranza looked back at Meta one last time, smiling softly before walking away.

~~

Magolor checked his phone. _11:40 a.m._ He sighed, tossing it onto his bed. The audio for _Green Greens_ was playing, and he had his french horn propped up next to his chair. As he sat down and prepared to play, something clicked in his mind.

_Crap! I never listened to Taranza’s voicemail!_ Quickly setting his instrument down, he dove towards his bed and pulled up his voicemails. He opened it and his ex’s voice filled the room.

" _Magolor, I know I hurt your feelings, but I couldn’t lie to you or myself any longer. I’m hurting as well, but I also know that I can’t let this hold me back. Though this may be selfish of me, I have a favor to ask. Please come play at the concert. You can ignore me for the rest of your life if you want, but I need your french horn part so that this will all go smoothly. If you can, please meet us at the Dreamland Theatre tomorrow at noon. Goodbye.”_

He played it again, making sure he heard right. _He… still wants me to play in the band?_ Checking the time again, he saw that he still had about twenty minutes to get ready. 

“I can still make it,” he muttered. Shutting down his computer, he quickly changed into his band uniform and packed up his music and french horn. He bolted out the door and ran the whole way.

_Just wait for me, Taranza! I won’t let you down again!_

~~

Once he knew everyone was ready, Taranza went over to Meta. He was playing little tunes, his hands dancing along the black and white keys.

“Meta?” he called.

“Yes?” Resting his hands on his thighs, Meta turned to face the conductor.

“I… need to talk with you.”

Sensing the seriousness in his tone, Meta focused his gaze on him. “I’m listening.”

“Oh, but, um, not now. After the concert. Could you… meet me at Puffball Park? I’ll tell you there.” His hands were shaking, and he could feel his disconnected ones gripping the end of his tailcoat.

Silence fell between them as Meta thought it over. Taranza could feel his own nerves going into overdrive. Just as Meta opened his mouth to answer, the door leading to the concert hall’s entrance slammed open.

In the doorway was Magolor. He was wearing his uniform, right hand gripping the handle of his case tightly. Everyone had turned to see what the commotion was. Magolor walked over to Taranza, eyes darting around until they stayed focused on the conductor.

When they were face-to-face, Magolor bit his lip. “Hello.”

Taranza’s eyes widened, a multitude of emotions reflected through them. But the first thing he said was: “You… actually came.”

“Yeah. I listened to your voicemail a little while ago, and I wanted to come help.” Magolor held his gaze with Taranza’s, but he turned his gaze to the ground, shaking his head. “During this past month, I’ve been nothing but rude when all you wanted was to make up. I don’t have anything I can say to defend myself because it’s true. I never even considered how my selfish actions might affect you. But you still did your best to push through.” Tears began to fall from his eyes, hands curling into fists. “I’m nothing but a coward. I let anger cloud my judgement rather than trying to talk it out.” He turned his head. “I don’t expect you to forgive me. You can hate me all you want, just, please…”

He wasn’t able to get another word in as a pair of arms wrapped around his shoulders. “That is all I needed to hear.” They were both shaking, but it didn’t matter. Magolor had actually made the effort to talk with him, and that was all he wanted.

A stagehand peeked in through the velvet curtains. “Ten minutes!” They left soon after. Taranza let go of Magolor, stepping back and clapping his hands.

“Alright, everyone! Start moving your instruments to the stage! Make sure they’re tuned correctly before playing.” Everyone started moving to the stage, instruments in hand (or arms, in Dedede’s case).

Meta stopped next to Taranza, placing a hand on his shoulder. Their eyes met and, with a shared nod, he walked away. Magolor and Taranza were now alone.

Magolor wiped his eyes and took his french horn out of its case, holding it under his arm. “Well… I’d best be off.”

Taranza nodded. “Right.”

"Thanks, Taranza."

A small smile came to his face. “Of course, Magolor.”

Soon, everything was set up how it needed to be. The stage already had a grand piano, as well as its own percussion equipment, so there was only a little bit of setup needed. He took a deep breath, raising his hands up. His eyes landed on Magolor, who gave him a wink.

He combed over everyone, silently telling them, _We’ve got this. Just watch my cues._ They began with a few scales, moving up and down flawlessly. When he cut them off, a brief applause came from the crowd. In the corner of his eye, Taranza spotted Ms. Adeline watching him from behind the stage’s tied curtains. She gave him a quick thumbs-up.

Taking a deep breath, he turned to the crowd. “Thank you, everyone, for coming to see us perform. Three long months of practice and hard work have passed and I couldn’t be happier with the results. Now, I present to you… _A Hero’s Journey_.” He spun on his heel and looked at everyone. Holding up one finger, they pulled out _Green Greens_ and got into set position.

_You can do this, Taranza! Believe in your conducting and their playing._ He raised his hands and, with a four beat countoff, they began. Kirby and Blade started out strong, working with Bandana Dee to keep tempo as Dark and Susie came in with their melody. When the reprised melody came, it was like an explosion of music. Galacta was singing her heart out, and the woodwinds’ part was played beautifully. As the last note was played, Taranza held two of his hands out. The note droned for a few seconds before fading out. Soft clapping came from the people watching as the band switched their music.

As everyone prepared, he flipped through my sheet music. He found _Puppeteer of Devastation_ and waited until the others had it out on their stands. Holding his hands up again, he gave them a countoff. Susie kept pace with Bandana Dee, even when Daroach jumped in halfway through. Blade then pulled them along until the brass took over, Marx and Sword’s duet becoming the melody for a short time. Then it ended, the gong ringing for a second as everyone rested their instruments in their laps.

_Last two songs, Taranza. It’s almost over. We can do this!_ Looking at the band, everyone was smiling at him. It was reassuring for him to know that they were actually enjoying this.

Breathing in through his nose, he pointed to Meta and the percussion section. They nodded to him and, with a countoff, they started _Last-Minute Hero_. Blade’s harmony mixed with Meta’s melody worked beautifully as the tempo and volume built up.

Finally, when the drums paused for a moment, the sound of the bells filled the silence, signalling the start of _Fatal Blooms in Moonlight_. Kirby let the last note linger before the whole band started. It was like a wave of relief when they timed the intro perfectly. Dark and Susie played, then passed the baton to Blade, which led into Sword’s first melody. A short percussion feature, followed by the second trombone melody, then Magolor joined with the next violin part.

The next segment came in with even more intensity than when they practiced. Blade carried them through, playing like her life depended on it. Dedede helped her keep up with his more tempo-based part.

At the end, they faded out. First Dedede, Kirby, and Bandana Dee; next, Marx and Sword; then Magolor, Blade, and Daroach; ending with Dark and Susie’s extended note. Galacta let her voice linger just a bit longer than the others as Meta played the closing notes.

Taranza lowered his hands, then motioned for each row to stand one-by-one. A loud applause came from the audience and, when he turned to bow to them, he could feel the joy and excitement from the crowd.


	12. Bonds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally, we have reached the end of the main arc! The concert is over, and hopefully everything can go back to normal!
> 
> **Chapter 13 will be pushed back to 11/27 because I wasn't able to finish it in time**

“That was outstanding, Taranza!” Ms. Adeline approached the young conductor, a bouquet of flowers in hand. She handed Taranza the flowers, a bright smile on her face. “I’m very proud of you.”

He shook his head. “It was more than just my efforts that brought us this far, Ms. Adeline. All of us worked diligently to make this a reality.”

“Of course.” She turned to look at the rest of the band, who were packing up the band equipment they brought from the school. “Well, I better get going. Principal Kabu is expecting me to show him the recording of your performance. He was rooting for you, too, you know.”

A faint blush spread across Taranza’s face. “R-Really?”

“Yep. Alright, I’m gonna leave. See you back at school, Taranza.” As she walked out the door, he felt another presence beside him.

Turning, he saw that Magolor was standing there. His gaze was down, fingers tapping on the handle of his case. Looking up, he cleared his throat, refusing to meet Taranza’s eyes.

“So…” he started.

“So…?” Taranza repeated.

“What’s gonna happen now?”

“What do you mean?”

Sighing, Magolor set his french horn case down. “What are we? Will we just go our separate ways? Will we stay friends? I know I wouldn’t forgive me if I were you. I was blinded by my desire to keep you by my side, despite our relationship not being very stable. I should-”

He was cut off by two hands grabbing his face. His amber eyes met Taranza’s silver ones. The hands holding his face moved away, then came back. It stung, but no pain followed.

Taranza pulled back, cheeks puffed out. “Stop beating yourself up over it.” He let his frown settle into a thin line. “If you want, we can still be friends. I personally want that, but I will not force you.”

They stood there for a moment, lost in their own thoughts.

Magolor finally spoke up. “I’d… like that, too.”

“So we can still be friends?” Taranza was excited that he could keep Magolor’s friendship.

“However, I need some time to think. I can’t simply act like everything I did didn’t happen. We can still talk, but I would prefer if we built our friendship from the ground up. Leave the past behind us, as they say.”

Taranza nodded, though a hint of sadness filled his heart. “Of course.”

Magolor sighed, picking up his case. “Thank you, Taranza, for being so nice and forgiving. Even though I don’t deserve it.” Before Taranza could say anything, he turned to walk out the door. The space around him was quiet, almost too quiet, as he went about making sure all of the instruments were packed away correctly.

Soon, everyone was driving home, glad to have the rest of the day to themselves. As Taranza was walking to Susie’s car, his phone buzzed.

Pulling it out, he saw there was a message from Meta.

_Hello, my friend. You asked me earlier if I had time to meet with you at Puffball Park. I was going to tell you “yes”, but Magolor arrived, so I didn’t have the chance._

Another message popped up.

_Does 3:00 work for you?_

Taranza checked his watch. It was a little past 1 o’clock, meaning he would have around two hours to get ready. Smiling, he sent a response.

_Sure thing, Meta! See you there!_

An almost immediate reply came through.

_Same to you, my friend._

The smile he wore didn’t fade as he joined Susie in her car. She was texting her father about how the concert went. When she saw Taranza sit in the passenger seat, she sent her message and started the car.

She noticed his expression and smirked. “What’s got you in a good mood, Captain?”

Her new nickname for him caught him off guard. He saw the mirth in her eyes and, instead of making a fuss, he let it go. The ride to his home was comfortably quiet. The performance had gone well, and he knew everyone was tired by the end of it. When she pulled up to his home, he gasped, lightly hitting his palm with his fists.

“I actually have an errand to run in a little while. Could you drive me to Puffball Park around 2:50?”

“Sure can, Taranza.” Again, her eyes were filled with mirth, but she didn’t pry. He thanked her for the ride and walked up to the front door, nearly tripping over his own feet as he fumbled with the lock. His nerves were acting up, which made his hands shake, but he was also excited for what would happen later.

~~

Meta Knight walked out of the auditorium. He was thinking about what Taranza wanted to talk about with him. He was broken out of his thoughts when a hand landed on his shoulder. Turning, he saw Magolor there.

Magolor stayed silent for a moment before a sigh past his lips. "Treat him well, Meta." Then he walked away, leaving Meta both confused and embarrassed.

_Are my feelings for Taranza really that obvious?_ He started walking to his car again when he remembered that he hadn't given the young conductor an answer. Pulling out his phone, Meta typed up a message and sent it, his heart rate picking up. After they finished their quick conversation, he started his car and drove home to get ready.

~~

Taranza arrived at Puffball Park a few minutes before three o’clock. He was looking around for Meta, who said he was already there. After another minute of looking, he found him sitting on a bench in front of the park's center tree.

He walked over to Meta, waving. "Hello, Meta!"

The man in question looked over. When he saw Taranza, a light blush dusted his cheeks as he waved back. The young conductor took a seat beside him, staring at the tree.

"You know," Meta began, "this tree is called Whispy Wood. It was said, back when this town was first constructed, that this tree carried the secrets of every person that came near it. In the present day, people will kneel before the tree and whisper their secrets, wishes, or regrets to it."

Taranza glanced at him. "Oh. Where did you find that out?"

"It was in one of my mother's old diaries. She wrote down how she would always come here to express her longing to be with my father. After a few entries, she blessed the tree, saying that it convinced fate to give her the chance to be with the man she truly loved." A solemn expression came to his face. His hands grabbed his pants legs, clutching at them like a lifeline.

"Wow." Sensing the tension, Taranza tried to redirect the conversation. "Have you ever spoken to Whispy?"

Meta hesitated. "...I have."

"Really? What did you tell him?" His eyes were sparkling, much like a child when they receive a gift. He frowned, averting his eyes. "Sorry. That was inconsiderate of me."

"It is alright, my friend." Meta's smile flattened out. "What was it that you wished to speak with me about?"

Taranza tensed, hands reflexively clenching into loose fists. _Come on, Taranza. Don't run away now!_ Taking a deep breath, he rested his chin in his hands.

"I have come to realize some things, and they concern my feelings. When I first started dating Magolor, it was because of my crush on him. He had beaten up the Landia brothers for bullying me, and I was honored at the time. Then, when it kept happening over the years, I finally realized that I was uncomfortable with what he was doing. I spoke up to him after the incident with Hyness, and he did not take it well. That was when our relationship became a little... rocky. The moment he tackled Dedede was the tipping point; the moment when, after reflecting on our relationship, my love for him had long since burned out. Not that I didn't care about him! But I also didn't want to hurt him by sharing this, so I acted as if I was happy being his romantic partner. Now that I have been away from him, I realize that my revelation was right: I no longer love him."

Meta sat there, taking in every detail. But one question came to mind, so he voiced it. "Why did you want to tell me this?"

"Because I know what you said yesterday. You... like me, don't you, Meta?"

Silence fell between them. The young conductor was internally berating himself. _Why did I even say that? He might not even have feelings for me!_

Beside him, Meta was in the same situation. _I knew he would understand what I said! Why did I let my feelings slip out?_

With a sigh, he looked the young conductor in the eyes. "Taranza, my friend, I do harbor feelings for you. But I will not ask you to reciprocate them if you do not feel the same." Sensing the awkwardness, he added, "You wanted to know what I whispered to Whispy, yes? I told him of my feelings, how I felt that us being together was nothing more than a dream I had because you were with Magolor."

Something grabbed his hand. Looking down, he saw that Taranza was holding his hand, a blush similar to Meta's on his face. "It might not be such a far-fetched idea," he muttered. He could feel his heart racing but kept his composure. His hand was squeezed as Meta intertwined their fingers.

When silver met with silver, Taranza could see tears building in his eyes. "Are you certain?" When the young conductor nodded, Meta cupped his face, moving close enough to rest their foreheads against each other. "This feels like a dream. May I kiss you, please?" Again, Taranza nodded. The kiss was light, only staying together for a second, but when they parted, they leaned in again, this kiss lasting a bit longer. After parting again, they stayed there, just reveling in their new-found bond.

Some time later, Taranza started thinking back on his memories of middle school. He turned to look at Meta. "I never got to ask before, but why _did_ you try to talk to me after Sectonia’s death?"

"It is as I said that day. I knew the pain you were going through, and I knew that what you were doing was not the best course of action. To recover from emotional wounds, you must first let out everything that is troubling you. Only then can you begin to heal your heart."

Taranza nodded, staring up at the sky. "I see. Now that I think about it, I believe that was when I started seeing you in a different light." Meta tilted his head, urging him to continue. "You were always cool and collected and strong, never letting yourself be bothered by minor things. But at the same time, I was too scared to approach you. So I settled on stealing glances, hoping to find the right time to talk with you.” A shadow fell over his eyes. “Then there was Sectonia's death. Even though I was happy about you speaking with me, I was also annoyed by it. I wanted to be alone with my thoughts, to take in everything that happened. You stopped me from doing that, and I am grateful. Now I know there are people I can talk about my problems with, that will listen and help me through my pain. I never got to thank you for that, Meta, so thank you."

They shared another kiss. A familiar beeping came from Taranza’s watch. He looked down at it with a frown before silencing it. He stood, eyes downcast. “Apologies, Meta. I have to go home now.”

“It is alright, my dear.” Meta stood, smiling when he noticed Taranza’s blush. He took the young conductor’s hands in his own, planting a kiss on the back of each. “We can meet again soon. Get some rest. You deserve it.” Taranza squeezed his new boyfriend’s hands before letting go. He walked away with a dopey smile on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was my personal favorite chapter to write for two reasons.
> 
> 1) I initially wrote the second half of this chapter on an email sent to my personal account during school. When I read over it, I laughed at how much I wrote off the top of my head. After some editing, I transferred it to the main document I use to write this story and wrote the rest around it.
> 
> 2) Metaranza, in my eyes, works surprisingly well. Now that I have them officially established, I can write A LOT of moments between them as add-ons to this. They will likely be posted at random (if I even get around to writing them) and part of this Series rather than this story.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed the Main Arc and will stay for the Epilogue Arc.


	13. Buried Memories of Childhood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that the whole band drama is over, our crew can finally catch a break.
> 
> (Posting this early because Happy Thanksgiving)

Standing in the doorway, Taranza looked around. He had come over to Meta’s house to spend time with his new boyfriend - his heart still sped up when he thought about it - but he was hesitating. He had one of his disconnected hands hovering in front of the doorbell but, for some reason, he couldn’t press it.

_Come on, Taranza!_ He told himself. _Stop being a coward and ring the doorbell!_ Taking a moment to collect himself, he closed his eyes tight and pushed the button. A short tune played from the other side of the door. Listening closely, Taranza could hear footsteps approaching the door as the doorbell stopped playing.

Meta answered the door, a smile coming to his face when his eyes met Taranza’s. “Good morning, my dear.” He stepped to his right, gesturing for Taranza to enter.

The young conductor walked inside and followed Meta to the sofa. It was surprisingly spacious; a mantle with a grand painting hanging over it; an open kitchen with a window looking out onto the street. Bookshelves lined almost every wall, stacked high with all kinds of foreign and common texts.

“I never got around to asking this, with everything happening so quickly,” Meta turned to face Taranza. “But how have you been doing since…” Though he trailed off, the young conductor knew what he was talking about.

“Though it stressed me out during our time spent practicing for the concert, I am fine now. Magolor and I are working to connect again. It’s… a learning process, letting go of everything we had together, but I’m trying.”

Meta nodded. He really didn’t have much to say because it was all a work in progress; something you couldn’t rush, no matter how much you wanted to. He knew Taranza understood that as well. 

As they sat down, Meta wrapped his arm over his boyfriend’s shoulders and pulled him close. They stayed there for a long time, talking about how their days were going and what they planned to do the coming weekend. 

It wasn’t until Taranza’s eyes wandered to the portrait hanging over the fireplace that he asked: “Hey Meta, who are the people in that painting?”

He followed the young conductor’s line of sight. When his eyes met the eyes of the child in the painting, he frowned. “They are my parents.”

“Your parents?” Now that he thought about it, he realized what made the house feel so hollow; Meta was the only one living there. A lump in his throat nearly kept him from asking his next question. “What happened to them?”

A shadow fell over Meta’s face. “They passed on a long time ago.”

The air in the room seemed to thicken, making it harder for him to breathe. Taranza laid his unattached hands on his lap so he could fully embrace his boyfriend. Meta returned it, taking in slow, deep breaths. He pulled back just far enough to kiss Taranza on the lips.

It was tender, almost fragile. As if even the slightest change in position would break everything. Their lips moved in a synchronized dance as Meta pulled Taranza even closer. They finally broke the kiss, pressing their foreheads together.

“If you do not mind… could you tell me what happened to your parents?”

Meta nodded, moving away completely to stare at the painting.

~~

_I remember it so vividly. The day of my sixth birthday…_

_My mother was making snacks for the party when I saw her collapse onto the kitchen floor. Her body was lying on the ground, and she looked like a lifeless corpse. I screamed then. My father, Sir Arthur rushed in and took her away the minute he caught sight of her. Sir Falspar tried to get me to move, but my feet were rooted to the spot._

_I stayed with Sword and Blade for a week before I found out what happened. Mother was dead. Again, I screamed. Tears fell from my eyes for what seemed like an eternity before I fell asleep from exhaustion. Since that day, I have never been able to celebrate my birthday without being reminded of her death._

_After that, it was a steady downward spiral that encompassed my life. For a few years, my father and I mourned the loss of my mother. I remember sneaking out of my room after my father wished me goodnight and seeing him with a glass of alcohol next to her picture. It was not a lot, but I could tell it was Mother’s favorite drink._

_Then came the call. Like I mentioned a moment ago, I would sneak out of my room to see what my father was doing. One night, I heard him speaking with someone. He was pacing across the living room as he spoke._

_“You want me to travel there_ now _? But sir-” He was silent for a moment, listening to the other end, before a heavy sigh slipped past his lips. “Of course. I’ll depart on the morrow. Good night, sir.” His words scared me then. But what frightened me the most was his gaze connecting with mine. I could see regret, anguish, and fear in his eyes._

_So he left as soon as the sun rose. I awoke to the television playing in the living room and the smell of eggs from the kitchen. My uncle, Arthur Knight Jr., had come on short notice to watch me while my father went to fight in another country._

~~

“Wait, your father was a soldier?”

“Yes. He was partnered with Falspar and Waddle Doo, Bandana Dee’s father.”

“Were you proud of his joining the army?”

A beat of silence passed. “...No.” Taranza cocked his head, confused. “My mother, before she married my father, was scared he would leave her forever if he enrolled. Not because she feared he did not love her; it was a fear for his safety and her future.” Though he didn’t quite understand what that meant, he urged Meta to continue.

~~

_I got the news at the worst time. For a year and a half, I awaited his return. The only information we got was from Falspar himself and a letter sent by their commanding officer. Apparently, he was one of the fifty casualties. Falspar further explained to us that my father had taken a bullet for him. I could see the guilt behind Falspar’s eyes when he told us; he blamed himself for not being careful enough._

_A heavy gloom hung over my house afterwards. I became a recluse, keeping to myself rather than trying to heal. Back then, I thought that, to be strong, you had to keep your emotions in check. A soldier would not let his personal feelings get in the way of the mission, so I adapted that mindset for a long time. The only comfort I had was my mother’s journal and her collection of stories. Memories of stories read to me by lamplight before I fell asleep were all I had._

_My uncle was of no help to me. He sat around, occasionally cooking meals or cleaning the empty house. It was like a recurring cycle of tedium for him that he was fine with continuing through his whole life. He never even tried to console me. I believe that was when I realized a truth that hurts to say even now: I was alone in this world; there was nobody who knew of my pain that could help my fractured heart heal._

_When I was twelve, I awoke to an eerily quiet house. The kitchen was sparkling, as if it had been recently cleaned, and the television was not on. I walked into the kitchen and there was a note left on the counter._

_It only had two sentences written on it. “The house is yours. Take care of yourself, kid.” The brief goodbye that didn’t even come from his physical person was both disheartening and infuriating._ Why couldn’t he have just waited to tell me he was leaving? Why does everyone I know leave me so suddenly?

_So I took my life into my own hands. To prove to myself and him I could live on my own, I started working as early as possible. Much to my relief, my uncle had at least continued paying for the house and my car, which was once my mother’s. I kept myself as steady as possible, making sure I caught before I stumbled, so to speak. Though I had help from Falspar and Yulensia, I mostly provided for myself._

_I was doing fine for a few months. But I could feel myself growing hollow, as if a piece of me had broken off and disappeared. A void filled me and threatened to consume my very life, and it would have had it not been for Sword and Blade._

_They had been spared the pain of losing a parent, but they knew the risks their father made every time he was called away. So they stayed with me, Blade almost always having to force me to talk out my emotions. Sword was there for relief, telling jokes or making a fool of himself to get me to crack a smile. My hardened exterior, built up and fortified by years of heartache and fear of abandonment, had finally begun to crack._

_It was around the middle of our seventh grade year that I started acting like the person I had kept hidden away for so long, the true me. Watching anime, studying the world’s history to become a historian like I always dreamed, and just being happy with my friends. The pain I had endured for most of my childhood felt so distant, and I was happy with that._

~~

“When I saw you a year later, face buried in your arms as Dedede was shouting at you, blaming you for Sectonia’s death… I saw myself in your place. For just a moment, I saw my younger self curled up in his room, softly crying to himself as he kept replaying the painful memories over and over in his head.”

The young conductor’s eyes widened. “So _that_ was why you…” He couldn’t finish his sentence as he felt the hot sting of tears behind his eyes.

“Yes. Seeing you in pain brought my resolve to light, a resolve that made me realize nobody should ever have to experience the suffering I felt. So I made it my goal to help you before it was too late.”

Taranza was crying now, but he quickly wiped away the droplets. Meta sighed, beckoning Taranza closer. He lightly kissed the tops of his cheeks, pressing his lips to his boyfriend’s forehead and lingering for a moment.

“You need not shed tears for me. I have long since moved past the pain I felt back then, and my life is on a steady path.” Meta pulled Taranza close, wrapping his arms around him. He grabbed at the back of Meta’s shirt, his body shaking as he sobbed. He cried because he knew the pain of not having parents with you through those transition years; he knew what it felt like to feel alone in the world, to believe that you didn’t have anybody to talk to.

A tap on the space between his shoulder blades made Taranza gaze upward. He looked up to see Meta peering down at him from behind his glasses. Blinking, he chuckled softly as he wiped his eyes.

“Ah… My apologies. I just realized that we are not as different as I once thought.”

Now Meta was curious. “How so, my dear?”

Taranza flushed, still not used to the nickname. “Well, we were both sort of forced to raise ourselves. Though my experience was much different from yours.” With a sigh, he described his childhood.

“My parents were there for a short time, but their work kept them from staying for long. They were always travelling around and seeing what the world had to offer. I had money and souvenirs come in the mail every so often so I could pay for anything I needed, but I don’t think they understood that I only needed a family that could stay. Right now, I have more money than I know what to do with.”

“What do your parents do for a living?”

“They’re both doctors, my father a neurosurgeon and my mother a cardiologist. But they work freelance, taking calls from all over rather than working in a hospital or medical institution.”

“I see…” Meta looked down at his hands. “We have more in common, after all. Though I wish our common ground did not include missing parents.” He looked Taranza in the eyes. “Do you still miss them?”

Taranza thought about it. _Do I miss them? They never really made themselves present in my life, save for funding my existence. However…_ “I do. I might not have gotten to know them as well as I’d have liked, but I still miss them being there beside me.”

“I understand. It is as they say, one can never choose their parents. But what most either do not know or ignore is the hidden bond between parents and their children. No matter what, children will want to have their parents be a part of their lives. As long as they are connected, there is a guarantee that they will stay a family, no matter the bad blood.

“At least, that is what my mother used to say.”

Taranza blinked, a memory coming to mind. _When Meta spoke of his mother’s tales of Whispy Wood, he had a fond glimmer in his eyes. That same shine came when he was telling me about her a moment ago, as well._ “Your mother sounds like a wonderful woman.”

“She was. Though I was young, I still have clear recollections of her. When she laughed, her smile brightened the room more than any ceiling lights. Her soft coos when I cried helped soothe me. I remember she would recall tales she heard or created herself for me before I fell asleep.” He stood, offering a hand to Taranza. “Come, I can share some with you, if you’d like.”

They moved to the back bedroom, which looked almost brand new. A king-sized bed in the corner with a hope chest at the foot of it; paintings of vast oceans and neverending fields of gold decorated the walls. 

But the most noticeable piece of furniture was an old desk placed in front of a single vertical window. Sunlight shone through the downward-tilted blinds, casting a soft light over the worn wood. Meta pulled the top drawer open and removed a leather-bound book before closing it back. He untied the string sealing it, opened it and sat down on the bed. He patted his hand on the spot beside him, beckoning Taranza to join him.

For hours, they read stories of many kinds. Fairy tales, retellings of real events, and many more. Taranza could feel a connection forming between them and it warmed his heart. _This is where I was meant to be_ , he thought as he looked to see Meta dozing off. Chuckling softly to himself, he tugged the blanket over his boyfriend and, after planting a kiss to his temple, moved to leave the room.

As he was leaving, however, he spotted a dusty book lying on an empty shelf. It was a hardback, ornate designs lining the edges. He picked it up and wiped the dust off the cover. The name “Arthur” was etched into the cover. He quickly figured out what it was and set it back on the shelf, heart racing. But something didn’t make sense to him. _Meta knew about his mother’s journal, but with the copious amount of dust on this, it seems like it hasn’t been touched in some time. Has he never found it?_

An idea came to mind. Despite his conscience telling him to not follow through, Taranza took the book and set it on top of the old desk. He made sure to dust it thoroughly before quickly exiting the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realized while writing Meta's backstory that I love writing Flashback Scenes for these characters, so I'll probably incorporate that same format somewhere in the final chapter, since that one's gonna take a Christmas miracle to plan out!
> 
> Hope all of you that had Thanksgiving on November 26th had a wonderful day, as well as anyone else who's reading this!


	14. Confrontation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frustrations can build up with stress, but you need to let it out before you explode.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is pretty dialogue heavy, yet it also ended up being surprisingly short.

It was an early morning when his phone buzzed. Opening his eyes, he squinted as he opened his Message app. He read the message and sighed heavily. Swallowing, he closed the app and checked his bedside clock. _6:05 am_. He climbed out of bed. 

_This better not be what I think it is…_ he thought, walking towards his dresser. Pulling out his signature hoodie and a pair of jeans, he quickly changed. After he made sure he was ready, he checked the time. _6:20 am_. He walked outside, locked the door behind him, and rode out to the school on his bike.

_Meet me behind the school at 7 am. We need to talk._

~~

He made it to the school parking lot, chained his bike, and walked to the back. It was eerily quiet. Given he was meeting them early in the morning on a weekend, the silence made sense. But it still unnerved him.

When he couldn’t see anybody waiting, he got annoyed. “Alright, I’m here. What did you want to talk about?”

Footsteps sounded from behind him, echoing in the open air. He turned in the direction he heard them and saw _her_. 

“I’m surprised you made it early, _Mags_.” Venom dripped from the nickname.

“What do you want, Susie?” He didn’t have time for games; if she wanted to talk about _that_ , she needed to get on with it.

“I assume you know why I asked you to meet me here.” He nodded at that. “Good. Now listen…” 

She flipped her hair out of her face, glaring intensely at Magolor. “Do you have _any_ idea how badly your negligence affected Taranza? Because of you, Taranza felt pressured to ‘prove’ to you he could take care of himself. He juggled conducting the band with his own personal agenda and trying to reconnect with you because he cared so damn much about keeping you as a friend. But what do you do? You push him away because you can’t face the truth-”

“Enough!” He huffed and looked Susie dead in the eye. “Yes, I know now I was an ass for what I did. I don’t need _you_ of all people to remind me of that. But I came back to try and make up for what I did. I’m working, slowly but surely with Taranza, to repair what I broke.”

Susie turned away, curling her hands into fists. “You really are stupid...” Magolor tilted his head. “I can’t believe you sometimes.”

“What are you getting at?”

That was the last straw for her. “You think you can just- just _walk on by_ after what happened! That starting over will just wipe the slate clean! But it won’t. I will _never_ forget the day he broke down.” She gripped her upper arm, willing back tears. “Shallow breaths, frantic mutterings about being pushed away despite his best efforts to fix everything. I _never_ want to see him in such a miserable state _again_.”

For once, Magolor was speechless. He knew that he had been a jerk, but he caused Taranza to have an anxiety attack? His mouth, once open to throw out a retort, stayed closed.

Susie continued. “The only thing that makes it worse was that it all could have been avoided if _you_ hadn’t been so- so _obstinate_! I just…” 

Her fire died down, but her body was still trembling with anger. “I knew Taranza would forgive you no matter what because that’s who he is, but I couldn’t just let it go like he did. His despair reminded me of what happened _back then_ … when he was grieving for Sectonia. It was similar, in that he felt he could handle the burden of his own emotions on his own.” She wiped at her eyes, hiccups interrupting her words. “He trusts his friends, but he never lets anyone in. His fear of being a burden on others has forged him into a smile we can look to for relief, but that smile also works to hide his own damaged feelings. I hate feeling useless, and that’s _exactly_ how I was feeling when I saw him running off on his own so often.”

Magolor tentatively reached out to her, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. “I didn’t…” he began, choosing his words carefully. “I never realized how badly my actions were weighing on him _and_ you. After we broke up, I felt hollow, like a part of me shattered. So I chose to deny the truth, believing that he never truly loved me because he couldn’t appreciate what I was doing for him.

“Then I got his voicemail the day before the concert. His voice was shaking, from what I assumed was simply nerves, and I heard faint hiccups. I hadn’t considered he was crying then. You’re right, though; starting over _won’t_ make everything better. I know I caused more damage than I intended. I also know that I can spend an eternity hoping that my transgressions will be forgiven or take the time I have working to make things better.”

They stared at one another for a time, letting it all sink in. Susie had stopped crying but still wiped the lingering tears away. Magolor was breathing heavily, heart racing from fear and anticipation.

It was Susie who finally broke the quiet moment. “...sorry.”

His eyes widened. “Why are you apologizing? If anything, I should be-”

“No, listen. I’m sorry for venting on you like I did. I was frustrated and upset and- Well, you heard what I said. Your actions might have added to Taranza’s stress, but I also never did anything to help him.”

“Susie, that’s not true!” He grabbed her shoulders firmly, lightly shaking her. “At least you stayed _with_ him! Having you support his efforts probably did more for him than you think. Taranza makes sure to let his friends know that he values them, and he sure as hell values you as a dear friend.”

A broken chuckle slipped past her lips. “Do you remember… when Taranza first met you?”

It was a random memory to bring up, but it made Magolor laugh softly. “How could I forget? You two had been waiting outside the computer lab when I walked up. He was a blushing mess, and I couldn’t help but smile at him. You introduced him to me like a mother would her child. At the end of the day, I remember him timidly approaching me and giving me his number.”

“Yeah… He showed me your first text conversation and I had to laugh as he excitedly bounced around my room. You two were head-over-heels for each other, that’s for sure.”

They moved to sit against the wall, staring aimlessly at the foggy football field before them. “Sometimes I wish we could go back to our middle school days. Y’know?”

She nodded. “Tell me about it. I wish we could go back to when the only things that mattered were teen love and popular music.”

An amiable silence fell over them. It was nice, having finally let out all the feelings they’d been holding in. They both understood that their past relationships with one another would never be the same. But having heard each other’s thoughts on the events that transpired, they felt it right to give each other a chance at a new friendship.

Susie’s phone started ringing in her pocket. Rolling her eyes, she pulled it out and answered. “Hello? Yes, this is Susie.” A few beats passed. “Yes, yes, and no. You just need to-” A crashing sound came from the other end. She sighed, brow furrowing. “Leave everything where it is; I’ll be there in ten minutes. Of course. Goodbye.” Sighing again, she pushed herself onto her feet, offering Magolor a hand.

He took it and let her pull him up. “People at the office causing mayhem again?” he asked teasingly.

“Sadly, yes. I swear, none of these new recruits know how to do their damn job.” They shared a laugh. 

Her gaze hardened. “Before I leave, I just want to say one thing. If you _ever_ do something like this again and Taranza goes through the same emotional stress he did before…” A shadow fell over her eyes. “Let’s just say you won’t like what I do. Got it?”

Magolor tensed but nodded. Susie snickered to herself, waving as she climbed into her car and drove away. He let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. Since he was alone, he pulled out a leather-bound notebook and started writing something down.

_Today, I think my life is finally getting back on track._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last few chapters of this story are being postponed until later this year because of school starting again. Please understand and I hope you all have a great new year in 2021!


End file.
